Sample records for easily removable cationic

In recent years, the world has expressed an increasing interest in the recycling of waste paper to supplement the use of virgin fiber as a way to protect the environment. Statistics show that major countries are increasing their use of recycled paper. For example, in 1991 to 1996, the U.S. increased its recovered paper utilization rate from 31% to 39%, Germany went from 50% to 60%, the UK went from 60% to 70%, France increased from 46% to 49%, and China went from 32% to 35% [1]. As recycled fiber levels and water system closures both increase, recycled product quality will need to improve in order for recycled products to compete with products made from virgin fiber [2]. The use of recycled fiber has introduced an increasing level of metal, plastic, and adhesive contamination into the papermaking process which has added to the complexity of the already overwhelming task of providing a uniform and clean recycle furnish. The most harmful of these contaminates is a mixture of adhesives and polymeric substances that are commonly known as stickies. Stickies, which enter the mill with the pulp furnish, are not easilyremoved from the repulper and become more difficult the further down the system they get. This can be detrimental to the final product quality. Stickies are hydrophobic, tacky, polymeric materials that are introduced into the papermaking system from a mixture of recycled fiber sources. Properties of stickies are very similar to the fibers used in papermaking, viz. size, density, hydrophobicity, and electrokinetic charge. This reduces the probability of their removal by conventional separation processes, such as screening and cleaning, which are based on such properties. Also, their physical and chemical structure allows for them to extrude through screens, attach to fibers, process equipment, wires and felts. Stickies can break down and then reagglomerate and appear at seemingly any place in the mill. When subjected to a number of factors including changes

We propose a new approach to remediate cesium-contaminated clays based on intercalation of the cationic surfactant dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) into clay interlayers. Intercalation of DTAB was found to occur very rapidly and involved exchanging interlayer cations. The reaction yielded efficient cesium desorption (∼97%), including of a large amount of otherwise non-desorbable cesium ions by cation exchange with ammonium ions. In addition, the intercalation of DTAB afforded an expansion of the interlayers, and an enhanced desorption of Cs by cation exchange with ammonium ions even at low concentrations of DTAB. Finally, the residual intercalated surfactants were easilyremoved by a decomposition reaction with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of Cu(2+)/Fe(2+) catalysts.

This paper aimed to investigate the removal of combined Cu(2+) and atenolol (ATL) in aqueous solution by using a newly synthesized magnetic cation exchange resin (MCER) as the adsorbent. The MCER exhibited efficient removal performance in sole, binary, pre-loading and saline systems. The adsorption kinetics of Cu(2+) and ATL fitted both pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second order model, while better described by pseudo-second order model in binary system. In mixed Cu(2+) and ATL solution, the adsorption of ATL was suppressed due to direct competition of carboxylic groups, while Cu(2+) adsorption was enhanced because of the formation of surface complexes. This increasing in heterogeneity was demonstrated by adsorption isotherms, which were more suitable for Freundlich model in binary system, while better described by Langmuir model in sole system. As proved by FTIR and XPS spectra, both amino and hydroxyl groups of ATL could form complexes with Cu(2+). Decomplexing-bridging interaction was elucidated as the leading mechanism in coremoval of Cu(2+) and ATL, which involved [Cu-ATL] decomplexing and newly created Cu- or ATL sites for additional bridging. For saline system, the resulting competition and enhancement effects in mixed solution were amplified with the addition of co-existing cations. Moreover, the MCER could be effectively regenerated by 0.01 M HCl solution and maintain high stability over 5 adsorption-desorption cycles, which render it great potential for practical applications.

The article is devoted to the problems that occur at the operation of LPC shaft seals (SS) of turbines, particularly, their bearings. The problems arising from the deterioration of oil-protecting rings of SS and bearings and also the consequences in which they can result are considered. The existing SS housing construction types are considered. Their operational features are specified. A new SS construction type with an easilyremovable holder is presented. The construction of its main elements is described. The sequence of operations of the repair personnel at the restoration of the new SS type spacings is proposed. The comparative analysis of the new and the existing SS construction types is carried out. The assessment results of the efficiency, the operational convenience, and the economic effect after the installation of the new type seals are given. The conclusions about the offered construction prospects are made by results of the comparative analysis and the carried-out assessment. The main advantage of this design is the possibility of spacings restoration both in SS and in oil-protecting rings during a short-term stop of a turbine, even without its cooling. This construction was successfully tested on the working K-300-23.5 LMP turbine. However, its adaptation for other turbines is quite possible.

Nuclear energy is becoming a preferred energy source amidst rising concerns over the impacts of fossil fuel based energy on global warming and climate change. However, the radioactive waste generated during nuclear power generation contains harmful long-lived fission products such as strontium (Sr). In this study, cationic strontium uptake from solution by microbial cultures obtained from mine wastewater is evaluated. A high strontium removal capacity (q(max)) with maximum loading of 444 mg/g biomass was achieved by a mixed sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB) culture. Sr removal in SRB was facilitated by cell surface based electrostatic interactions with the formation of weak ionic bonds, as 68% of the adsorbed Sr(2+) was easily desorbed from the biomass in an ion exchange reaction with MgCl₂. To a lesser extent, precipitation reactions were also found to account for the removal of Sr from aqueous solution as about 3% of the sorbed Sr was precipitated due to the presence of chemical ligands while the remainder occurred as an immobile fraction. Further analysis of the Sr-loaded SRB biomass by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled to energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) confirmed extracellular Sr(2+) precipitation as a result of chemical interaction. In summary, the obtained results demonstrate the prospects of using biological technologies for the remediation of industrial wastewaters contaminated by fission products.

Understanding the sorption mechanism of organic contaminants on cation exchange resins (CXRs) will enable application of these resins for the removal of cationic organic compounds from contaminated water. In this study, sorption of a diverse set of 12 organic cations and 8 neutral aromatic solutes on two polystyrene CXRs, MN500 and Amberlite 200, was examined. MN500 showed higher sorbed concentrations due to its microporous structure. The sorbed concentrations followed the same trend of aromatic cations > aliphatic cations > neutral solutes for both resins. Generally, solute-solvent interactions, nonpolar moiety of the solutes, and resin matrix can affect selectivity of the cations. Sorbed concentrations of the neutral compounds were significantly less than those of the cations, indicating a combined effect of electrostatic and nonelectrostatic interactions. By conducting multiple linear regression between Gibbs free energy of sorption and Abraham descriptors for all 20 compounds, polarity/polarizability (S), H-bond acidity (A), induced dipole (E), and electrostatic (J(+)) interactions were found to be involved in the sorption of the cations by the resins. After converting the aqueous sorption isotherms to sorption from the ideal gas-phase by water-wet resins, a more significant effect of J(+) was observed. Predictive models were then developed based on the linear regressions and validated by accurately estimating the sorption of different test set compounds with a root-mean-square error range of 0.91-1.1 and 0.76-0.85 for MN500 and Amberlite 200, respectively. The models also accurately predicted sorption behavior of aniline and imidazole between pH 3 and 10.

Pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) and artificial sweeteners (ASs) are emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) in the aquatic environment. The presence of PPCPs and ASs in water bodies has an ecologic potential risk and health concern. Therefore, it is needed to detect the pollution sources by understanding the transport behavior of sewage molecular markers in a subsurface area. The aim of this study was to evaluate transport of nine selected molecular markers through saturated soil column experiments. The selected sewage molecular markers in this study were six PPCPs including acetaminophen (ACT), carbamazepine (CBZ), caffeine (CF), crotamiton (CTMT), diethyltoluamide (DEET), salicylic acid (SA) and three ASs including acesulfame (ACF), cyclamate (CYC), and saccharine (SAC). Results confirmed that ACF, CBZ, CTMT, CYC and SAC were suitable to be used as sewage molecular markers since they were almost stable against sorption and biodegradation process during soil column experiments. In contrast, transport of ACT, CF and DEET were limited by both sorption and biodegradation processes and 100% removal efficiency was achieved in the biotic column. Moreover, in this study the effect of different acetate concentration (0-100mg/L) as an easily biodegradable primary substrate on a removal of PPCPs and ASs was also studied. Results showed a negative correlation (r(2)>0.75) between the removal of some selected sewage chemical markers including ACF, CF, ACT, CYC, SAC and acetate concentration. CTMT also decreased with the addition of acetate, but increasing acetate concentration did not affect on its removal. CBZ and DEET removal were not dependent on the presence of acetate.

Hardness and DOC removal in a single ion exchange unit operation allows for less infrastructure, is advantageous for process operation and depending on the water source, could enhance anion exchange resin removal of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Simultaneous application of cationic (Plus) and anionic (MIEX) ion exchange resin in a single contact vessel was tested at pilot and bench scales, under multiple regeneration cycles. Hardness removal correlated with theoretical predictions; where measured hardness was between 88 and 98% of the predicted value. Comparing bench scale DOC removal of solely treating water with MIEX compared to Plus and MIEX treated water showed an enhanced DOC removal, where removal was increased from 0.5 to 1.25 mg/L for the simultaneous resin application compared to solely applying MIEX resin. A full scale MIEX treatment plant (14.5 MGD) reduced raw water DOC from 13.7 mg/L to 4.90 mg/L in the treated effluent at a bed volume (BV) treatment rate of 800, where a parallel operation of a simultaneous MIEX and Plus resin pilot (10 gpm) measured effluent DOC concentrations of no greater than 3.4 mg/L, even at bed volumes of treatment 37.5% greater than the full scale plant. MIEX effluent compared to simultaneous Plus and MIEX effluent resulted in differences in fluorescence intensity that correlated to decreases in DOC concentration. The simultaneous treatment of Plus and MIEX resin produced water with predominantly microbial character, indicating the enhanced DOC removal was principally due to increased removal of terrestrially derived organic matter. The addition of Plus resin to a process train with MIEX resin allows for one treatment process to remove both DOC and hardness, where a single brine waste stream can be sent to sewer at a full-scale plant, completely removing lime chemical addition and sludge waste disposal for precipitative softening processes.

A cheap and biodegradable modifier, cationic starch (CS), was used to turn local soils into effective flocculants for Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa) removal. The isoelectric point of soil particles was remarkably increased from pH 0.5 to 11.8 after modification with CS, which made CS modified soil particles positively charged and obtain algal flocculation ability. At the soil concentration of 100 mg/L, when the CS modifier was 10 mg/L, 86% of M. aeruginosa cells were removed within 30 min. Lower or higher CS dosage led to limited algal removal. About 71% and 45% of M. aeruginosa cells were removed within 30 min when CS was 5 mg/L and 80 mg/L, respectively. This is because only part of algal cells combined with CS modified soil particles through charge neutralization at low dosage, while flocs formed at high CS dosage were positively charged which prevents further aggregation among the flocs. The floc stability was quantified by a floc breakage index under applied shear force. Algal flocs formed at acid and alkaline conditions were more prone to be broken than those at the neutral condition. The cost and biodegradability concerns may be largely reduced through the use of CS modified local soils. For field applications, other practical issues (e.g., re-suspension) should be further studied by jointly using other methods.

An adsorbent, magnetic-modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes, was used for removal of cationic dyes crystal violet (CV), thionine (Th), janus green B (JG), and methylene blue (MB) from water samples. Prepared nanoparticles were characterized by SEM, TEM, BET and XRD measurements. The prepared magnetic adsorbent can be well dispersed in the water and easily separated magnetically from the medium after loaded with adsorbate. The influences of parameters including initial pH, dosage of adsorbent and contact time have been investigated in order to find the optimum adsorption conditions. The optimum pH for removing of all the investigated cationic dyes from water solutions was found to be 7.0. The experimental data were analyzed by the Langmuir adsorption model. The maximum predicted adsorption capacities for CV, JG, Th and MB dyes were obtained as 227.7, 250.0, 36.4 and 48.1 mg g(-1), respectively. Desorption process of the adsorbed cationic dyes was also investigated using acetonitrile as the solvent. It was notable that both the adsorption and desorption of dyes were quite fast probably due to the absence of internal diffusion resistance.

Vermiculite, a 2:1 clay mineral, was applied as adsorbent for removal of cadmium, zinc, manganese, and chromium from aqueous solutions. Parameters such as time of reaction, effect of pH and cation concentration were investigated. All isotherms were L type of the Gilles classification, except zinc (type S). The adsorbent showed good sorption potential for these cations. The experimental data was analyzed by Langmuir isotherm model showing reasonable adjustment. The quantity of adsorbed cations was 0.50, 0.52, 0.60, and 0.48 mmol g(-1) of Cd(2+), Mn(2+), Zn(2+), and Cr(3+), respectively.

This article describes the use of citric acid modified sugar beet pulp as new ion-exchanger sorbent for the removal of metal cations and colorants from thin juice. The results of batch adsorption runs concerning the effects of contact time, material dosage, temperature and pH drop were presented and discussed. Experimental data on the removal of metal cations showed that the sorption process was rapid and reached equilibrium in 60 min. Modified material in acidic form caused to a significant pH drop in thin juice, which could result with sucrose inversion. Uptake of metal cations increased with temperature whereas that of color decreased. Neutralised type modified product gave more satisfying results. After six successive contacts, 49.7%, 37.5% and 43.7% removals for Ca-Mg, K and color, respectively, were obtained by using neutralised form of modified sugar beet pulp.

Electrodeposition eliminates wastewater pollutants such as electrochemically active metal cations, with different pulse polarography (DPP) scrutinizing the kinetics of the treatment process. These mechanisms produce qualitative and quantitative data about the removal process, while students appreciate the use of electrochemistry in resolving…

Biodegradable hydrogel nanocomposites (HNC) of gum karaya (GK) grafted with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) incorporated silicon carbide nanoparticles (SiC NPs) were synthesized using the in situ graft copolymerization method and tested for the adsorption of cationic dyes from aqueous solution. The structure and morphology of the HNC were characterized using different spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The results showed that the surface area and porosity of the hydrogel polymer significantly increased after nanocomposite formation with SiC NPs. The HNC was employed for the removal of cationic dyes, i.e., malachite green (MG) and rhodamine B (RhB) from the aqueous solution. The HNC was found to remove 91% (MG) and 86% (RhB) of dyes with a polymer dose of 0.5 and 0.6 g l-1 in neutral medium, respectively. The adsorption process was found to be highly pH dependent and followed the pseudo-second-order rate model. The adsorption isotherm data fitted well with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm with a maximum adsorption capacity of 757.57 and 497.51 mg g-1 for MG and RhB, respectively. Furthermore, the HNC was demonstrated as a versatile adsorbent for the removal of both cationic and anionic dyes from the simulated wastewater. The HNC showed excellent regeneration capacity and was successfully used for the three cycles of adsorption-desorption. In summary, the HNC has shown its potential as an environment friendly and efficient adsorbent for the adsorption of cationic dyes from contaminated water.

Usage of bentonite as a buffer material is suggested in radioactive waste repositories. Although bentonites have higher sorption ability to cations, they cannot adsorp anions due to negative surface charge. Nowadays, ongoing researches focus on increasing anion adsorption ability of the bentonites with modification. Organic-pillared bentonite (OPBent) was produced by modification of sodium bentonite with aluminum polyoxy and hexadecylpyridinium cations in this study. Variation in structure after modification was demonstrated by using different characterization techniques. Se removal efficiency of OPBent is investigated by using (75)Se, since selenium (Se) is one of the important long lived fission products found in radioactive waste and has toxic anionic species in an aqueous environment. The effect of reaction time, solid/liquid ratio, pH and concentration on the adsorption performance were examined. Se speciation and its effect onto adsorption were also investigated by measuring Eh-pH values under certain experimental conditions. Additionally, importance of the amount of Al-polyoxy cations used in modification was investigated by comparing these results with the results of other organic-pillared bentonite produced in our previous research. Experimental results confirmed that both cations were successfully placed into the bentonite interlayer and significant change in the host structure leads to increase Se adsorption. Consequently, bentonite modification improves its Se adsorption ability and further investigations are needed related to the usage of this adsorbent in other remediation studies especially in sorption of other anionic pollutants.

The Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane (GNB-OM) is asymmetric in its lipid composition with a phospholipid-rich inner leaflet and an outer leaflet predominantly composed of lipopolysaccharides (LPS). LPS are polyanionic molecules, with numerous phosphate groups present in the lipid A and core oligosaccharide regions. The repulsive forces due to accumulation of the negative charges are screened and bridged by the divalent cations (Mg2+ and Ca2+) that are known to be crucial for the integrity of the bacterial OM. Indeed, chelation of divalent cations is a well-established method to permeabilize Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli. Here, we use X-ray and neutronmore » reflectivity (XRR and NR, respectively) techniques to examine the role of calcium ions in the stability of a model GNB-OM. Using XRR we show that Ca2+ binds to the core region of the rough mutant LPS (RaLPS) films, producing more ordered structures in comparison to divalent cation free monolayers. Using recently developed solid-supported models of the GNB-OM, we study the effect of calcium removal on the asymmetry of DPPC:RaLPS bilayers. We show that without the charge screening effect of divalent cations, the LPS is forced to overcome the thermodynamically unfavorable energy barrier and flip across the hydrophobic bilayer to minimize the repulsive electrostatic forces, resulting in about 20% mixing of LPS and DPPC between the inner and outer bilayer leaflets. These results reveal for the first time the molecular details behind the well-known mechanism of outer membrane stabilization by divalent cations. This confirms the relevance of the asymmetric models for future studies of outer membrane stability and antibiotic penetration.« less

The Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane (GNB-OM) is asymmetric in its lipid composition with a phospholipid-rich inner leaflet and an outer leaflet predominantly composed of lipopolysaccharides (LPS). LPS are polyanionic molecules, with numerous phosphate groups present in the lipid A and core oligosaccharide regions. The repulsive forces due to accumulation of the negative charges are screened and bridged by the divalent cations (Mg2+ and Ca2+) that are known to be crucial for the integrity of the bacterial OM. Indeed, chelation of divalent cations is a well-established method to permeabilize Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli. Here, we use X-ray and neutron reflectivity (XRR and NR, respectively) techniques to examine the role of calcium ions in the stability of a model GNB-OM. Using XRR we show that Ca2+ binds to the core region of the rough mutant LPS (RaLPS) films, producing more ordered structures in comparison to divalent cation free monolayers. Using recently developed solid-supported models of the GNB-OM, we study the effect of calcium removal on the asymmetry of DPPC:RaLPS bilayers. We show that without the charge screening effect of divalent cations, the LPS is forced to overcome the thermodynamically unfavorable energy barrier and flip across the hydrophobic bilayer to minimize the repulsive electrostatic forces, resulting in about 20% mixing of LPS and DPPC between the inner and outer bilayer leaflets. These results reveal for the first time the molecular details behind the well-known mechanism of outer membrane stabilization by divalent cations. This confirms the relevance of the asymmetric models for future studies of outer membrane stability and antibiotic penetration.

Systems and methods for use of magnesium hydroxide, either directly or through one or more precursors, doped with a divalent or trivalent metal cation, for removing arsenic from drinking water, including water distribution systems. In one embodiment, magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH).sub.2 (a strong adsorbent for arsenic) doped with a divalent or trivalent metal cation is used to adsorb arsenic. The complex consisting of arsenic adsorbed on Mg(OH).sub.2 doped with a divalent or trivalent metal cation is subsequently removed from the water by conventional means, including filtration, settling, skimming, vortexing, centrifugation, magnetic separation, or other well-known separation systems. In another embodiment, magnesium oxide, MgO, is employed, which reacts with water to form Mg(OH).sub.2. The resulting Mg(OH).sub.2 doped with a divalent or trivalent metal cation, then adsorbs arsenic, as set forth above. The method can also be used to treat human or animal poisoning with arsenic.

A magnetic composite material composed of magnetic nanoparticles and clay encapsulated in cross-linked chitosan beads was prepared, characterized and used as a magsorbent for the removal of a cationic dye, methylene blue (MB), from aqueous solutions. The magnetic properties of these beads represent an advantage to recover them at the end of the depollution process. The optimal weight ratio R=clay:chitosan for the removal of MB in a large range of pH was determined. For beads without clay, the maximal adsorption capacity of MB occurs in the pH range [9-12], while for beads with clay, the pH range extends by increasing the amount of clay to reach [3-12] for R>0.5. Adsorption isotherms show that the adsorption capacity of magnetic beads is equal to 82 mg/g. Moreover, the kinetics of dye adsorption is relatively fast since 50% of the dye is removed in the first 13 min for an initial MB concentration equal to 100 mg/L. The estimation of the number of adsorption sites at a given pH shows that the main driving force for adsorption of MB in a large range of pH is the electrostatic interaction between the positively charged dye and the permanent negative charges of clay.

Column experiments were conducted for examining the effectiveness of the cationic hydrogel on Cr(VI) removal from groundwater and soil. For in-situ groundwater remediation, the effects of background anions, humic acid (HA) and pH were studied. Cr(VI) has a higher preference for being adsorbed onto the cationic hydrogel than sulphate, bicarbonate ions and HA. However, the adsorbed HA reduced the Cr(VI) removal capacity of the cationic hydrogel, especially after regeneration of the adsorbents, probably due to the blockage of adsorption sites. The Cr(VI) removal was slightly influenced by the groundwater pH that could be attributed to Cr(VI) speciation. The 6-cycle regeneration and reusability study shows that the effectiveness of the cationic hydrogel remained almost unchanged. On average, 93% of the adsorbed Cr(VI) was recovered in each cycle and concentrated Cr(VI) solution was obtained after regeneration. For in-situ soil remediation, the flushing water pH had an insignificant effect on the release of Cr(VI) from the soils. Multiple-pulse flushing increased the removal of Cr(VI) from the soils. In contrast, more flushing water and longer operation may be required to achieve the same removal level by continuous flushing.

Natural organic coagulants (NOCs) such as chitosan and Moringa oleifera seeds have been extensively characterized for potential application in water treatment as an alternative to metal-based coagulants. However, the action of both chitosan and M. oleifera seeds is mainly restricted to anionic organic pollutants because of their cationic functional groups affording poor cationic pollutant coagulation by electrostatic repulsion. In this study, we employed ethanolic grape seed extract (GSE) and grape seed-derived polyphenols such as tannic acid and catechin in an effort to find novel NOCs showing stable anionic forms for removal of cationic organic pollutants. The target substances tested were malachite green (MG) and crystal violet (CV), both mutagenic cationic dyes. Polyphenol treatment induced fast decolorization followed by gradual floc formation concomitant with red or blue shifts in maximum absorbance wavelengths of the cationic dyes. Liquid chromatography analysis of flocs formed by polyphenols directly showed that initial supramolecular complexes attributed mainly to electrostatic attraction between polyphenol hydroxyphenyl groups and cationic dyes further progressed into stronger aggregates, leading to precipitation of dye-polyphenol complexes. Consistent with the results obtained using catechin and tannic acid, use of GSE also resulted in effective decolorization and coagulation of soluble MG and CV in aqueous solutions. Screening of several organic GSE components for NOC activity strongly suggested that natural polyphenols are the main organic ingredients causing MG and CV removal via gradual floc formation. The treatment by natural polyphenols and GSE decreased toxicity of MG- or CV-contaminated water.

Based on Donnan dialysis technique, the mechanism that influences the exchange capacity of the membrane and the interaction mechanism between two co-existing ions are investigated in this paper, where the cation exchange membrane is applied to remove the heavy metal ions such as copper, manganese, zinc. The following results were obtained: It is applicable to use the cation exchange membrane to remove copper, manganese and zinc ions and 75%-85% of removal efficiency can be obtained; when the concentration and charge number are the same, the smaller the radius of hydrated heavy metal, the quicker the ion diffuse and consequently the higher removal efficiency the membrane can achieve, which is the main factor; when the radius of the hydrated heavy metals are approximately same, the membrane will have higher removal efficiency to the ion with lower atomic number; when the ions with same charge number and concentration co-exist, both of them are removed but with different removal speeds for existing of disturbance between them and there exist diffusion competition, i.e. those who are more prone to be exchanged will be more competitive and more likely to low the removal rate of the other ion seriously; if the total concentration of the ions is far lower than the exchange capacity of the membrane, the removal efficiency when the ions coexist is not lower too much than that of the case when they exist lonely.

A novel nanocomposite (NC) based on magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4-NPs) immobilized on the surface of a cationic exchange polymer, C100, using a modification of the co-precipitation method was developed to obtain magnetic NCs for phosphate removal and recovery from water. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy-energy-dispersive spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy , X-ray diffraction, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry were used to characterize the NCs. Continuous adsorption process by the so-called breakthrough curves was used to determine the adsorption capacity of the Fe3O4-based NC. The adsorption capacity conditions were studied under different conditions (pH, phosphate concentration, and concentration of nanoparticles). The optimum concentration of iron in the NC for phosphate removal was 23.59 mgFe/gNC. The sorption isotherms of this material were performed at pH 5 and 7. Taking into account the real application of this novel material in real water, the experiments were performed at pH 7, achieving an adsorption capacity higher than 4.9 mgPO4-P/gNC. Moreover, Freundlich, Langmuir, and a combination of them fit the experimental data and were used for interpreting the influence of pH on the sorption and the adsorption mechanism for this novel material. Furthermore, regeneration and reusability of the NC were tested, obtaining 97.5% recovery of phosphate for the first cycle, and at least seven cycles of adsorption-desorption were carried out with more than 40% of recovery. Thus, this work described a novel magnetic nanoadsorbent with properties for phosphate recovery in wastewater.

Guar gum-cerium (IV) tungstate nanocomposite (GG/CTNC) cationic exchanger was synthesized using simple sol gel method. The GG/CTNC was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrophotometer (EDX). The XRD studies confirmed amorphous and fibrous in nature of GG/CTNC. The high percentage of oxygen in the nanocomposite material confirmed the functionality tungstate (WO4(-)). The ion exchange capacity of GG/CTNC for Na(+) ion was observed to be 1.30 mequivg(-1). The hybrid exchanger was used as potential adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous system. The correlation coefficients value indicated a good fit of monolayer Langmuir model to the adsorption of methylene blue onto GG/CTNC. The adsorption kinetic study revealed that the adsorption process followed the pseudo second order kinetic. The Gibbs free energy (ΔG) values confirmed the spontaneous nature of adsorption process.

In this study, a novel lanthanum-loaded magnetic cationic hydrogel (MCH-La) was synthesized for fluoride adsorption from drinking water. The adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and effects of pH and co-existing anions on fluoride uptake by MCH-La were evaluated. FTIR, Raman and XPS were used to analyze the fluoride adsorption mechanism of MCH-La. Results showed that MCH-La had positive zeta potential values of 23.6-8.0 mV at pH 3.0-11.0, with the magnitude of saturation magnetization up to 10.3 emu/g. The fluoride adsorption kinetics by MCH-La fitted well with the fractal-like-pseudo-second-order model, and the adsorption capacity reached 93% of the ultimate adsorption capacity within the first 10 min. The maximum fluoride adsorption capacity for MCH-La was 136.78 mg F(-)/g at an equilibrium fluoride concentration of 29.3 mg/L and pH 7.0. Equilibrium adsorption data showed that the Sips model was more suitable than the Langmuir and Freundlich models. MCH-La still had more than 100 mg of F(-)/g adsorption capacity at a strongly alkaline solution (pH > 10). The adsorption process was highly pH-dependent, and the optimal adsorption was attained at pH 2.8-4.0, corresponding to ligand exchange, electrostatic interactions, and Lewis acid-base interactions. With the exception of both anions of HCO3(-) and SiO4(4-), Cl(-), NO3(-), and SO4(2-) did not evidently prevent fluoride removal by MCH-La at their real concentrations in natural groundwater. The fluoride adsorption capacity of the regenerated MCH-La approached 70% of the fresh MCH-La from the second to fifth recycles. FTIR and Raman spectra revealed that C-O and CO functional groups on MCH contributed to the fluoride adsorption, this finding was also confirmed by the XPS F 1s spectra. Deconvolution of C 1s spectra before and after fluoride adsorption indicated that the carboxyl, anhydride, and phenol groups of MCH were involved in the fluoride removal.

A magnetic multi-wall carbon nanotube (MMWCNT) nanocomposite was synthesized and was used as an adsorbent for removal of cationic dyes from aqueous solutions. The MMWCNT nanocomposite was composed of commercial multi-wall carbon nanotubes and iron oxide nanoparticles. The properties of this magnetic adsorbent were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and BET surface area measurements. Adsorption characteristics of the MMWCNT nanocomposite adsorbent were examined using methylene blue, neutral red and brilliant cresyl blue as adsorbates. Experiments were carried out to investigate adsorption kinetics, adsorption capacity of the adsorbent and the effect of adsorption dosage and solution pH values on the removal of cationic dyes. Kinetic data were well fitted by a pseudo second-order model. Freundlich model was used to study the adsorption isotherms. The prepared MMWCNT adsorbent displayed the main advantage of separation convenience compared to the present adsorption treatment.

Oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibers were employed to remove dyes from aqueous solutions via adsorption approaches. The EFB fibers were modified using citric acid (CA) and polyethylenimine (PEI) to produce anionic and cationic adsorbents, respectively. The CA modified EFB fibers (CA-EFB) and PEI-modified EFB fibers (PEI-EFB) were used to study the efficiency in removingcationic methylene blue (MB) and anionic phenol red (PR) from aqueous solutions, respectively, at different pHs, temperatures and initial dye concentrations. The adsorption data for MB on the CA-EFB fitted the Langmuir isotherm, while the adsorption of PR on the PEI-EFB fitted the Freundlich isotherm, suggesting a monolayer and heterogeneous adsorption behavior of the adsorption processes, respectively. Both modified fibers can be regenerated up to seven adsorption/desorption cycles while still providing as least 70% of the initial adsorption capacity.

This work presents investigations on the total removal of chromium from Cr(VI) aqueous solutions by reduction with scrap iron and subsequent precipitation of the resulted cations with NaOH. The process was detrimentally affected by a compactly passivation film occurred at scrap iron surface, mainly composed of Cr(III) and Fe(III). Maximum removal efficiency of the Cr(total) and Fe(total) achieved in the clarifier under circumneutral and alkaline (pH 9.1) conditions was 98.5% and 100%, respectively. The optimum precipitation pH range which resulted from this study is 7.6-8.0. Fe(total) and Cr(total) were almost entirely removed in the clarifier as Fe(III) and Cr(III) species; however, after Cr(VI) breakthrough in column effluent, chromium was partially removed in the clarifier also as Cr(VI), by coprecipitation with cationic species. As long the column effluent was free of Cr(VI), the average Cr(total) removal efficiency of the packed column and clarifier was 10.8% and 78.8%, respectively. Our results clearly indicated that Cr(VI) contaminated wastewater can be successfully treated by combining reduction with scrap iron and chemical precipitation with NaOH.

A cubic thorium borate possesses a porous supertetrahedral cationic framework with extraframework borate anions. These anions are readily exchanged with a variety of environmental contaminants, especially those from the nuclear industry, including chromate and pertechnetate.

Liquid-core capsules with a non-crosslinked alginate fluidic core surrounded by a gellan membrane were produced in a single step to investigate their ability to adsorb heavy metal cations. The liquid-core gellan-alginate capsules, produced by dropping alginate solution with magnesium cations into gellan solution, were extremely efficient at adsorbing lead cations (267 mg Pb(2+)/g dry alginate) at 25 °C and pH 5.5. However, these capsules were very weak and brittle, and an external strengthening capsule was added by using magnesium cations. The membrane was then thinned with the surfactant lecithin, producing capsules with better adsorption attributes (316 mg Pb(+2)/g dry alginate vs. 267 mg Pb(+2)/g dry alginate without lecithin), most likely due to the thinner membrane and enhanced mass transfer. The capsules' ability to adsorb other heavy-metal cations - copper (Cu(2+)), cadmium (Cd(2+)) and nickel (Ni(2+)) - was tested. Adsorption efficiencies were 219, 197 and 65 mg/g, respectively, and were correlated with the cation's affinity to alginate. Capsules with the sorbed heavy metals were regenerated by placing in a 1M nitric acid suspension for 24h. Capsules could undergo three regeneration cycles before becoming damaged.

Ion exchanger resin fluid film mass transfer coefficients and the ionic diffusivities from which they are derived are often measured by use of ion exchange resin columns. Such tests, usually run dynamically using short resin beds, are often performed using relatively high (ppm) concentrations of ions to accurately measure output concentrations as a function of flow rate. The testing described herein was performed to determine fluid film ionic diffusivities for cationic concentrations typical of ultrapure water ({le}ppb levels) containing ppm levels of ammonia. Effective ionic diffusivities at these low ionic concentrations and high pHs were needed to complete a computer model (SIMIX) to be used in ion exchange simulations. SIMIX is a generalized multicomponent ion exchange model designed to simulate the removal of divalent cations from ultrapure water.

Effects of pH and dissolved oxygen on mechanisms for decolorization and total organic carbon (TOC) removal of cationic dye methylene blue (MB) by zero-valent iron (ZVI) were systematically examined. Decolorization and TOC removal of MB by ZVI are attributed to the four potential mechanisms, i.e. reduction, degradation, precipitation and adsorption. The contributions of four mechanisms were quantified at pH 3.0, 6.0 and 10.0 in the oxic and anoxic systems. The maximum efficiencies of decolorization and TOC removal of MB were found at pH 6.0. The TOC removal efficiencies at pH 3.0 and 10.0 were 11.0 and 17.0%, respectively which were considerably lower as compared with 68.1% at pH 6.0. The adsorption, which was favorable at higher pH but was depressed by the passive layer formed on the ZVI surface at alkaline conditions, characterized the effects of pH on decolorization and TOC removal of MB. The efficiencies of decolorization and TOC removal at pH 6.0 under the anoxic condition were 73.0 and 59.0%, respectively, which were comparable to 79.9 and 55.5% obtained under the oxic condition. In the oxic and anoxic conditions, however, the contributions of removal mechanisms were quite different. Although the adsorption dominated the decolorization and TOC removal under the oxic condition, the contribution of precipitation was largely superior to that of adsorption under the anoxic condition.

The current article focuses on chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nitrogen (ammonium and nitrate) removal performance from synthetic human wastewater as affected by different substrate rocks having a range of porosities and cation exchange capacities (CECs). The aggregates included lava rock, lightweight expanded shale, meta-basalt (control), and zeolite. The first three had CECs of 1 to 4 mequiv/100 gm, whereas the zeolite CEC was much greater (-80 mequiv/100 gm). Synthetic wastewater was gravity fed to each constructed wetland system, resulting in a 4-day retention time. Effluent samples were collected, and COD and nitrogen species concentrations measured regularly during four time periods from November 2008 through June 2009. Chemical oxygen demand and nitrogen removal fractions were not significantly different between the field and laboratory constructed wetland systems when corrected for temperature. Similarly, overall COD and nitrogen removal fractions were practically the same for the aggregate substrates. The important difference between aggregate effects was the zeolite's ammonia removal process, which was primarily by adsorption. The resulting single-stage nitrogen removal process may be an alternative to nitrification and denitrification that may realize significant cost savings in practice.

The present invention is an adhesive or coating composition that is dispersible or dissolvable in water, making it useful in as a coating or adhesive in paper intended for recycling. The composition of the present invention is cationically charged thereby binding with the fibers of the paper slurry and thus, resulting in reduced deposition of adhesives on equipment during the recycling process. The presence of the composition of the present invention results in stronger interfiber bonding in products produced from the recycled fibers.

Adsorption can be efficiently employed for the removal of various toxic dyes from water and wastewater. In this article, the authors reviewed variety of adsorbents used by various researchers for the removal of malachite green (MG) dye from an aqueous environment. The main motto of this review article was to assemble the scattered available information of adsorbents used for the removal of MG to enlighten their wide potential. In addition to this, various optimal experimental conditions (solution pH, equilibrium contact time, amount of adsorbent and temperature) as well as adsorption isotherms, kinetics and thermodynamics data of different adsorbents towards MG were also analyzed and tabulated. Finally, it was concluded that the agricultural solid wastes and biosorbents such as biopolymers and biomass adsorbents have demonstrated outstanding adsorption capabilities for removal of MG dye.

Recycling treatment of cable insulation resin generated from electric wires and cables was investigated. Conventional insulation PVC contains a lead component, tribase, as a thermal stabilizer and lead removal is necessary to recycle this PVC as insulation resin. This paper describes a solid surface adsorption method using ion exchange resin to remove the fine lead containing particles from PVC dissolved solution. Low lead concentration in the recovered PVC, complying with the requirements of RoHS, was achieved.

The directions and diagrams for making a reflecting telescope and a refracting telescope are presented. These telescopes can be made by students out of plumbing parts and easily obtainable, inexpensive, optical components. (KR)

A model of a dodecahedron which is necessary for teaching stereochemistry (for example, that of dodecahedrane) can be made easily by using a sealed, empty envelope. The steps necessary for accomplishing this task are presented. (JN)

A model of a cube which is necessary for teaching stereochemistry (especially of inorganic compounds) can be made easily, by using a sealed, empty envelope. The steps necessary to accomplish this task are presented. (JN)

Waste tyre rubber (WTR) granulate was modified with a cationic polymer, poly(3-acrylamidopropyl)trimethylammonium chloride (p(APTMACl)). The resulting WTR/p(APTMACl) was utilized for the adsorption of arsenite, As(III) and arsenate, As(V) from aqueous medium in both batch and column methods. The level of adsorption increased gradually with increasing monomer concentration and contact time. The adsorption behavior obeyed the Freundlich model, and the rate of adsorption could be predicted by employing the pseudo-second order model. In the column method, As(V) could be adsorbed onto the sorbent more effectively than As(III). Remarkable desorption of As(III) and As(V) (99 and 92%, respectively) from the adsorbent was achieved using 0.10 M HCl as eluent. An approach of evaluation of adsorption capacity uncertainty is proposed.

We are investigating microbially-mediated acceleration of calcite precipitation and co-precipitation of hazardous divalent cations (e.g., 90Sr) in calcite saturated subsurface systems. In theory, the addition of urea to an aquifer or vadose zone and its subsequent hydrolysis by indigenous microbes will cause an increase in alkalinity, pH and calcite precipitation. Lab studies indicated the ability of various bacteria to precipitate calcite through urea hydrolysis and that incorporation of strontium in biogenically-formed calcite is greater than in abiotically formed calcite. Results from a field experiment in a pristine location in the Snake River Plain aquifer involving the phased addition of molasses and then urea showed increases in total cell numbers, rate of urea hydrolysis and calcite formation during the study. The combined diagnostic approaches of microbiology, molecular ecology and analytical chemistry demonstrate the feasibility of this biogeochemical manipulation for subsurface remediation at arid Western DOE sites such as Hanford and INEEL.

Cationic dye sorption by Zn-Al-layered double hydroxides (LDHs) modified with anionic surfactants was examined using methylene blue (MB) dye as a compound model in aqueous solutions. The modification of Zn-Al LDHs was performed by reconstruction method using dodecyl sulfate anion (DS) solutions. DS contained Zn-Al LDHs were characterized by XRD, FTIR, thermogravimetric, and SEM analysis. The reconstructed organo/Zn-Al LDHs comprise the crystalline phases (DS-intercalated LDHs, hydrotalcite), and the amorphous phase. The intercalation of DS ions into the interlayer galleries and DS adsorption on the surface of the LDHs occurred causing the MB adsorption on the external and its sorption in the internal surfaces of modified LDHs. The presence of DS greatly increased the affinity of organo/Zn-Al LDHs for MB due to hydrophobic interactions between the surfactants and the dye molecules. The optical properties of sorbed MB were studied.

Ion exchange, reverse osmosis, and chemical precipitation have been investigated extensively for heavy metal uptake. However, they are deemed too expensive to meet stringent effluent characteristics. In this study, cement kiln dust (CKD) was examined for the removal of target heavy metals. Adsorption studies in completely mixed batch reactors were used to generate equilibrium pH adsorption edges. Studies showed the ability of CKD to remove the target heavy metals in a pH range below that of precipitation after an equilibrium reaction time of 24 h. A surface titration experiment indicated negative surface charge of the CKD at pH below 10, meaning that electrostatic attraction of the divalent metals can occur below the pH required for precipitation. However, surface complexation was also important due to the substantive metal removal. Accordingly, a surface complexation model approach that utilizes an electrostatic term in the double-layer description was used to estimate equilibrium constants for the protolysis interactions of the CKD surface as well as equilibria between background ions and the sorbent surface. It was concluded that the removal strength of adsorption is in the order: Pb > Cu > Cd. The experiments were also supported by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

This study focuses on the electrolytic regeneration of spent chromium plating solutions. These solutions contain a significant amount of chromium and a lesser amount of other heavy metals, which makes them a significant environmental concern and an obvious target for recycling and reuse. The type of separator used is extremely critical to the performance of the process because they are the major resistance in the transport-related impurity (Cu(II), Ni(II), and Fe(III)) removals from contaminated chromic acid solutions. A Nafion 117 membrane and a ceramic diaphragm separator traditionally used in the industry were tested for comparison. It was found that the mobilities of Cu(II) and Ni(II) were similar and higher than that of Fe(III) using both separators. The mobility of each cation was smaller in the Nafion membrane than in the ceramic diaphragm. The measured conductivity of the ceramic diaphragm was slightly higher than that of Nafion membrane. However, the Nafion membrane was much thinner than the ceramic diaphragm resulting in the system using the Nafion membrane having higher impurity removal rates than the system using the ceramic diaphragm. The removal rates were approximately equal for Cu(II) and Ni(II) and lowest for Fe(III). Both current and initial concentration affected the removal rates of the impurities. Modeling results indicated that a system using a Nafion separator and a small catholyte/anolyte volume ratio was better than a system using a ceramic separator for removing impurities from concentrated plating solutions if the impurities transported into the catholyte are deposited or precipitated.

The objectives of this project are to determine the feasibility of and develop optimum conditions for the use of colloid-enhanced ultrafiltration (CEUF) methods to remove and recover radionuclides and associated toxic nonradioactive contaminants from polluted water. The target metal ions are uranium, plutonium, thorium, strontium and lead along with chromium (as chromate). Anionic or amphiphilic chelating agents, used in conjunction with polyelectrolyte colloids, provide a means to confer selectivity required for removal of the target cations. This project entails a comprehensive study of the effects of solution composition and filtration unit operating parameters on the separation efficiency and selectivity of ligand modified colloid-enhanced ultrafiltration (LM-CEUF) processes. Problem areas identified by the Office of Environmental Management addressed by this project include removal of hazardous ionic materials from ground water, mixed waste, and aqueous waste solutions produced during decontamination and decommissioning operations. Separation and concentration of the target ions will result in a substantial reduction in the volume of material requiring disposal or long-term storage.

The objectives of this project are to determine the feasibility of and develop optimum conditions for the use of colloid-enhanced ultrafiltration (CEUF) methods to remove and recover radionuclides and associated toxic non-radioactive contaminants from polluted water. The target metal ions are uranium, plutonium, thorium, strontium, cadmium, and lead along with chromium (as chromate). Anionic or amphiphilic chelating agents, used in conjunction with polyelectrolyte colloids, provide a means to confer selectivity required for removal of the target cations. This project entails a comprehensive study of the effects of solution composition and filtration unit operating parameters on the separation efficiency and selectivity of ligand modified colloid-enhanced ultrafiltration (LM-CEUF) processes. Problem areas identified by the Office of Environmental Management addressed by this project include removal of hazardous ionic materials from ground water, mixed waste, and aqueous waste solutions produced during decontamination and decommissioning operations. Separation and concentration of the target ions will result in a substantial reduction in the volume of material requiring disposal or long-term storage.

A novel strategy utilizing the phenyls interaction and the hydrophobic affinity of available siloxane surface in the interlayer of bentonite was proposed to improve the sorption capabilities of organobentonites for water soluble aromatic contaminants. A unique organobentonite (65BTMA) was synthesized by intercalating benzyltrimethylammonium cation (BTMA(+)) into the interlayer of a reduced-charge bentonite with cation exchange capacity (CEC) of 65 cmol kg(-1). Phenol, aniline and toluene were used as model compounds of water soluble aromatic contaminants. Their respective removal efficiencies by 65BTMA were achieved at 83.3%, 89.2% and 97.3% at the initial concentration of 20 mg l(-1). To reveal the sorption mechanism, sorption characteristics of aromatic contaminants to 65BTMA were compared with that of aliphatic contaminants in similar molecular size. And various organobentonites were prepared by combining TMA(+) (tetramethylammonium), BTMA(+), HTMA(+) (heptyltrimethylammonium) and CTMA(+) (cetyltrimethylammonium) with two bentonites (CEC=108 and 65 cmol kg(-1)). To 65BTMA, sorption magnitudes of aromatic contaminants were much greater than that of aliphatic compounds with similar size; and dramatically higher than those to other organobentonites at low pollutant concentrations. These observations revealed that the strong phenyls interactions contributed significantly to sorb the aqueous soluble aromatic contaminants to 65BTMA (>90%), and which favored to design uniquely powerful sorbents.

A new-layered inorganic-organic magnesium organosilicate was synthesized through a single step template sol-gel route under mild conditions, using a new alkoxysilane, containing a 2-aminophenyldisulfide molecule. Elemental analysis data based on the nitrogen atom showed an incorporation of 1.97mmol of organic pendant groups for each gram of the hybrid formed. The X-ray diffraction patterns demonstrated that this nanocompound exhibited lamellar structure, in agreement with that found for natural inorganic silicates. Infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance for the (29)Si nucleus in the solid state are in agreement with the success of the proposed synthetic method. The presence of nitrogen and sulfur basic centers attached to the pendant groups inside the lamellar structure is used as basic centers to coordinate cations from aqueous solution at the solid/liquid interface. The isotherms were fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich models. The maxima adsorption capacities for copper, lead and cadmium, calculated from Langmuir model, were 3.28, 1.42 and 0.35mmol g(-1), respectively. These values are comparable to other adsorbing nanomaterials. This behavior suggested that this new inorganic-organic hybrid could be employed as a promising adsorbent for cationremoval from polluted systems.

In the current paper, a novel amphoteric straw-based adsorbent was prepared and applied to adsorb various dyes from aqueous solutions. The amphoteric adsorbent was proven effective in eliminating both cationic and anionic dyes (methylene blue and acid green 25), especially at corresponding favored pH conditions. The fundamental adsorption behavior of the adsorbent on removing various dyes was also investigated at different temperatures. The adsorption isotherms were all best-fitted by the Langmuir equation, whereas the adsorption kinetics was well-described by both the pseudo-second order model and the Elovich model. The experimental result revealed that the adsorption mechanism followed the monolayer chemical adsorption with an ion-exchange process.

Anion exchange materials were prepared from pine sawdust (Pinus sylvestris, PSD) through cationizing treatment with N-(3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl) trimethyl ammonium chloride (CHMAC) in the presence of NaOH. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to find the optimal reaction conditions. Three factors were chosen: reaction temperature (26-94 °C), reaction time (0.32-3.7 h) and NaOH/CHMAC molar ratio (0.19-2.2). Product yield (%) was used as a response. A quadratic model was fitted to the experimental data. The optimal conditions were: a reaction temperature of 57 °C, a reaction time of 1.8 h and a NaOH/CHMAC molar ratio of 1.32. A maximum nitrogen content of 2.6% was obtained at 60 °C, 3.7 h and a molar ratio of 1.2. The molar ratio had the greatest impact on the response. Regression analysis revealed that over 95% of the variance can be explained by the model. A maximum nitrate sorption capacity of 15.3 ± 1.4 mg N/g was achieved. The effect of CHMAC dose was also studied (a NaOH/CHMAC molar ratio of 1.2): 0.064 mol/g PSD was found to be near the optimum. Nitrate-contaminated groundwater (27.5 mg/l NO3) was treated with CPSD. Doses of 3-6 g/l resulted in 59-71% nitrate reduction.

This study was aimed at using mango leaf powder (MLP) as a potential adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. Characterization of the adsorbent was carried out with scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption analysis. The pH at the point of zero charge of the adsorbent was determined by titration method and was found a value to be 5.6 ± 0.2. Batch studies were performed to evaluate the influence of various experimental parameters like initial solution pH, contact time, initial concentration of dye and adsorbent dosage on the removal of MB. An adsorption-desorption study was carried out resulting the mechanism of adsorption was carried out by electrostatic force of attraction. The adsorption equilibrium time required for the adsorption of MB on MLP was almost 2 h and 85 ± 5% of the total amount of dye uptake was found to occur in the first rapid phase (30 min). The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were used for modeling the adsorption equilibrium. The experimental equilibrium data could be well interpreted by Langmuir isotherm with maximum adsorption capacity of 156 mg/g. To state the sorption kinetics, the fits of pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were investigated. It was obtained that the adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order rate kinetics. The above findings suggest that MLP can be effectively used for decontamination of dye containing wastewater.

The action of the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was investigated to control biofilms (aged 7d) formed by Pseudomonas fluorescens on stainless-steel slides, using flow cells reactors, under turbulent and laminar flow. The effect of CTAB was also investigated using planktonic cells in the presence and absence of BSA, by measuring the cellular respiratory activity and the ATP released. The action of CTAB on biofilms was assessed by means of cellular respiratory activity and variation of biofilm mass, immediately and 3, 7 and 12h after the application of CTAB. The physical stability of the biofilm was also assessed using a rotating device, where the effect of the surfactant on the biofilm stability was evaluated through the variation of the mass remaining on the surface. CTAB significantly reduced the activity of the planktonic cells probably due to the rupture of the cells. This effect was significantly reduced in the presence of BSA. Planktonic cells were more easily inactivated than bacteria in biofilms. Biofilms formed under laminar flow were more susceptible than those formed under turbulent flow, but in both cases total inactivation was not achieved. Biofilm recovery was observed, in terms of respiratory activity, in almost all the cases studied. CTAB application by itself did not promote the detachment of biofilms. The physical stability tests showed that the synergistic action of the surfactant and the application of high shear stress to the biofilm increase its detachment.

Natural clinoptilolite tuff was mechanically converted to micro (MCP) and nano (NCP) particles. The MCP and NCP powders were respectively modified with hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (HDTMA) and dithizone (DTZ). The raw and modified samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformation infra red (FT-IR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and thermogravimetry (TG) and used for the removal of Pb(II) from aqueous solution. The results confirm that both ion exchange and complexation processes are responsible for removal of Pb(II) cations in the modified samples, while Pb(II) cations were only removed via an ion exchange process by the raw clinoptilolite. In this sorbent, the anionic removal property of surfactant modified zeolites (SMZs) changed to cationicremoval property by an additional modification step. The best removal efficiency was observed by NCP-HDTMA-DTZ at the following experimental conditions: C(Pb(II)): 800 mg L(-1), HDTMA dosage: 0.2 mol L(-1), DTZ dosage: 5 mmol L(-1), contact time of DTZ with NCP-HDTMA: 1800 min and contact time of the sorbent with Pb(II): 360 min. The NCP-HDTMA-DTZ sorbent showed good efficiency for the removal of lead in the presence of different multivalent cations. Adsorption isotherms of Pb(II) ions obey the Langmuir equation that indicate the monolayer sorption of Pb(II). The adsorption kinetics based on the pseudo-second-order rate equation indicates that the rate limiting step involving a chemical reaction. The negative ΔH and ΔG indicate an exothermic and spontaneous process.

This study aimed at investigating the feasibility of using jackfruit peel (JFP), a solid waste, abundantly available in Malaysia, for the adsorption of methylene blue, a cationic dye. Batch adsorption studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of contact time, initial concentration (35-400mg/L), pH (2-11), and adsorbent dose (0.05-1.20g) on the removal of dye at temperature of 30 degrees C. The experimental data were analyzed by the four different types of linearized Langmuir isotherm, the Freundlich isotherm and the Temkin isotherm. The experimental data fitted well with the type 2 Langmuir model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 285.713mg/g. Pseudo-first and pseudo-second-order kinetics models were tested with the experimental data, and pseudo-second-order kinetics was the best for the adsorption of MB by JFP with coefficients of correlation R(2)> or =0.9967 for all initial MB concentrations studied. The results demonstrated that the JFP is very effective for the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions.

Genetic programming and neural activity drive synaptic remodeling in developing neural circuits, but the molecular components that link these pathways are poorly understood. Here we show that the C. elegans Degenerin/Epithelial Sodium Channel (DEG/ENaC) protein, UNC-8, is transcriptionally controlled to function as a trigger in an activity-dependent mechanism that removes synapses in remodeling GABAergic neurons. UNC-8 cation channel activity promotes disassembly of presynaptic domains in DD type GABA neurons, but not in VD class GABA neurons where unc-8 expression is blocked by the COUP/TF transcription factor, UNC-55. We propose that the depolarizing effect of UNC-8-dependent sodium import elevates intracellular calcium in a positive feedback loop involving the voltage-gated calcium channel UNC-2 and the calcium-activated phosphatase TAX-6/calcineurin to initiate a caspase-dependent mechanism that disassembles the presynaptic apparatus. Thus, UNC-8 serves as a link between genetic and activity-dependent pathways that function together to promote the elimination of GABA synapses in remodeling neurons. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.14599.001 PMID:27403890

Mixed oxide nanoparticles containing Ti, Si, and Al of 8-15 nm size range were synthesized using a combined sol-gel - hydrothermal method. Effects of composition on the structure, morphology, and optical properties of the nanoparticles were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), microRaman spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). Dye removal abilities of the nanoparticles from aqueous solutions were tested for different cationic dyes. While all the mixed oxide nanoparticles revealed high and fast adsorption of cationic dyes, the particles containing Ti and Si turned out to be the best. The adsorption kinetics and equilibrium adsorption behavior of the adsorbate - adsorbent systems could be well described by pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm model, respectively. Estimated thermodynamic parameters revealed the adsorption process is spontaneous, driven mainly by the electrostatic force between the cationic dye molecules and negative charge at nanoparticle surface. Highest dye adsorption capacity (162.96 mg MB/g) of the mixed oxide nanostructures containing Ti and Si is associated to their high specific surface area, and the presence of surface Si-O(δ-) groups, in addition to the hydroxyl groups of amorphous titania. Mixed oxide nanoparticles containing 75% Ti and 25% Si seen to be the most efficient adsorbents for removingcationic dye molecules from wastewater.

The prehydrolysis liquor (PHL) of the kraft-based dissolving pulp production process contains various amounts of hemicelluloses that can be utilized in the production of value-added products. In this work, a new process was proposed for removing the inhibitors of PHL via employing a flocculation concept to facilitate the utilization of hemicelluloses. Lignin, lignocelluloses/cationic polymer complexes, and possibly ethanol are the main products of this process. This process has been experimentally evaluated with an industrially produced PHL and cationic polymers. The results showed that 16% of lignin, 19% of acetic acid, 43% of furfural, and insignificant amount of sugars were removed from PHL via pretreating PHL with acid and lime at pH 7. Furthermore, by adding 0.4-0.5 mg g(-1) polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDADMAC) or chitosan to the pretreated PHL, 12-14% acetic acid, 40-50% furfural, 5-6% monomeric sugars, and 25% oligomeric sugars were removed from the PHL. The complexes made from these components may be applied as organic fillers in various industries. Alternatively, by adding 1.2 or 1.4 mg g(-1) PDADMAC or chitosan to the pretreated PHL, 30 or 35% of lignin was removed, respectively, which induced complexes that could be used as a fuel source. The composition of the complexes formed was also determined in this work.

A novel nanohybrid material containing a Cd(II) semicarbazone Schiff base complex and phosphomolybdic acid, [Cd(H2L+)6][H2L]+4[PMo12O40]4·18CH3OH·4H2O (1), [HL = pyridine-2-carbaldehyde semicarbazone] was prepared by a simple sonochemical route and characterized by 1HNMR, 13CNMR, FT-IR, UV-vis, PXRD, FESEM, TG-DTA and BET-BJH surface area analysis. Also the single crystal 1, was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. It crystallizes in the triclinic system with space group P-1 and is assembled into 3D supramolecular structure via hydrogen intermolecular interactions. The nanohybrid 1 was tested for the adsorption and removal of organic dyes such as methylene blue (MB), Rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO) from aqueous solutions. The effects of parameters such as the dosage of adsorbent, the initial concentration and pH of dye solution were investigated on the removal efficiency of methylene blue. The nanohybrid 1 exhibited excellent adsorption ability towards cationic dyes. Moreover, it could be easily separated from the reaction solution and recycled up to three times without significant loss of adsorption activity.

The present studies were undertaken with a view to developing a low-cost, efficient adsorbent for removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. A new cost-effective nano-structured Mg-doped Fe2O3-ferrihydrite adsorbent exhibiting high uptake capacities for various cations was synthesized. After preliminary testing of a series of Mg-doped (0.38 to 0.98%) samples for Pb(II), Cd(II), Cu(II) or Co(II) adsorption, a typical sample containing 55.7% Fe and 0.38% Mg was chosen for detailed characterization studies (XRD, TG-DTA, FTIR and TEM techniques). The adsorption behaviour of cations on the prepared nano powder was studied under various experimental conditions. The generated data were fitted to kinetic and isotherm models. The Langmuir monolayer capacities were 99.1, 83.3, 111.1 and 151.5 mg/g for Pb(II), Cd(II), Cu(II) and Co(II), respectively. It is the first time that such a high loading capacity for Co(II) has been reported. The effect of the presence of chloride or sulphate was dependent on the nature of the cation. Lead(II) adsorption was endothermic in nature with increased randomness at the solid-liquid interface, while for the rest of the three cations the adsorption process was exothermic. The XRD and FTIR studies on the loaded samples revealed structural changes during the adsorption process. The high cation loading capacities along with the stability of the loaded adsorbent make the synthesized ferrihydrite-Fe2O3 nano powder a potential candidate for contaminated water purification.

Iminodiacetic acid functionality has been introduced on styrene-divinyl benzene co-polymeric beads and characterized by FT-IR in order to develop weak acid based cation exchange resin. This resin was evaluated for the removal of different heavy metal ions namely Cd(II), Cr(VI), Ni(II) and Pb(II) from their aqueous solutions. The results showed greater affinity of resin towards Cr(VI) for which 99.7% removal achieved in optimal conditions following the order Ni(II)>Pb(II)>Cd(II) with 65%, 59% and 28% removal. Experiments were also directed towards kinetic studies of adsorption and found to follow first order reversible kinetic model with the overall rate constants 0.3250, 0.2393, 0.4290 and 0.2968 for Cr(VI), Ni(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II) removal respectively. Detailed studies of Cr(VI) removal has been carried out to see the effect of pH, resin dose and metal ion concentration on adsorption and concluded that complexation enhanced the chromium removal efficacy of resin drastically, which is strongly pH dependent. The findings were also supported by the comparison of FT-IR spectra of neat resin with the chromium-adsorbed resin.

The present study investigates the alkaline modification of raw orange tree sawdust (ROS) for an optimal removal of methylene blue (MB), as a cationic dye model, from synthetic solutions. The effects of operating parameters, namely, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) concentrations, ROS doses in NaOH solutions, stirring times, and initial MB concentrations on dye removal efficiency, were followed in batch mode. The process optimization was performed through the response surface methodology approach (RSM) by using Minitab17 software. The results showed that the order of importance of the followed parameters was NaOH treatment concentrations > stirring times > initial MB concentrations > ROS doses in NaOH solutions. The optimal experimental conditions ensuring the maximal MB removal efficiency was found for a NaOH treatment concentration of 0.14 M, a stirring time of 1 h, a ROS dose in NaOH solutions of 50 g L(-1), and an initial MB concentration of 69.5 mg L(-1). Specific analyses of the raw and alkali-treated biomasses, e.g., SEM/EDS and XRD analyses, demonstrated an important modification of the crystalline structure of the wooden material and a significant increase in its surface basic functional groups. Kinetic and isotherm studies of MB removal from synthetic solutions by ROS and the alkali-treated material (ATOS) showed that for both adsorbents, the pseudo-second-order and Langmuir model fitted the best the experimental data, respectively, which indicates that MB removal might be mainly a chemical and a monolayer process. Furthermore, thanks to the chemical modification of the ROS, the MB maximal uptake capacity has increased from about 39.7 to 78.7 mg g(-1). On the other hand, due to the competition phenomenon, the coexistence of MB and Zn(II) ions could significantly decrease the MB removal efficiency. A maximal decrease of about 32 % was registered for an initial Zn(II) concentration of 140 mg L(-1). Desorption experiments undertaken at natural pH (without

A novel nanocomposite derived from cationically modified guar gum and in-situ incorporated SiO2 NP (cat-GG/SiO2) has been developed. The cat-GG has been synthesised by grafting poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) on GG backbone. Various analyses endorse the suitability of cat-GG as well-organized template for the development of homogeneous SiO2 NPs. Dye adsorption studies predict that cat-GG/SiO2 efficiently and selectively adsorb anionic dyes (reactive blue-RB and Congo red-CR) from mixture of dye solutions. This is because of high surface area, multifunctional chelating H-bonding interactions and electrostatic interactions of cationic adsorbent with anionic dyes. Dyes adsorbed on the composite surface are desorbed reversibly using pH 10 stripping solution. Besides, cat-GG/SiO2 has been recycled efficiently with no prominent loss of dye uptake capacity, even after 4 adsorption-desorption cycles.

'The objectives of this project are to determine the feasibility of and develop optimum conditions for the use of colloid-enhanced ultrafiltration (CEUF) methods to remove and recover radionuclides and associated toxic non-radioactive contaminants from polluted water. The target metal ions are uranium, plutonium, thorium, strontium and lead along with chromium (as chromate). Anionic chelating agents, used in conjunction with polyelectrolyte colloids, provide a means to confer selectivity required for removal of the target cations. This project entails a comprehensive study of the effects of solution composition and filtration unit operating parameters on the separation efficiency and selectivity of ligand modified colloid-enhanced ultrafiltration (LM-CEUF) processes. Problem areas identified by the Office of Environmental Management addressed by this project include removal of hazardous ionic materials from groundwater, aqueous waste solutions and mixed waste. Separation and concentration of the target ions will result in a substantial reduction in the volume of material requiring long-term storage. This report summarizes work after 8 months of a 3-year project.'

The aim of this work was the modification of vermiculite in order to produce a low cost, efficient and sustainable adsorbent for dyes and metals. Three activation methods consisting of acid, base and combined acid/base treatment were applied to improve the of vermiculite's adsorption properties. Adsorbents were tested in single, bi- and tricomponent solutions containing cationic dyes and Cu(2+) cations. The raw material showed low adsorption capacity for dyes and metal. The acid/base treated vermiculite had very good adsorption capacity toward dyes while the maximum adsorption capacity for Cu(2+) did not change comparing to the starting material. The alkaline treated vermiculite was a good adsorbent for metals, while still being able to remove dyes on the level of the not treated material. Moreover, it was shown that the materials may be regenerated and used in several adsorption-desorption cycles. Furthermore, it was possible to separate adsorbed dyes from metals that were desorbed, using as eluents ethanol/NaCl and 0.05M HNO3, respectively. This opens a possibility for sustainable disposal and neutralization of both of the pollutants or for their further applications in other processes.

Chelating organics and some of their degradation products in the Hanford tank waste, such as EDTA, HEDTA, and NTA act to solubilize strontium and transuranics (TRU) in the tank waste supernatant. Displacement of strontium and TRU will facilitate the removal of these radionuclides via precipitation/filtration, ion exchange, or solvent extraction so that low-level waste feed specifications can be met. Pacific Northwest Laboratory has investigated two methods for releasing organic-complexed strontium and TRU components to allow for effective pretreatment of tank waste supernatant: metal cation addition (to promote displacement and flocculation) and chemical oxidant (pennanganate) addition (to promote chelator destruction/defunctionalization and possibly flocculation). These methods, which can be conducted at near-ambient. temperatures and pressures, could be deployed as intank processes.

Hydrothermal carbonization of cellulose in the presence of the globular protein ovalbumin leads to the formation of nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel with a fibrillar continuous carbon network. The protein plays here a double role: (i) a natural source of nitrogen functionalities (2.1 wt %) and (ii) structural directing agent (S(BET) = 38 m(2)/g). The applicability in wastewater treatment, namely, for heavy metal removal, was examined through adsorption of Cr(VI) and Pb(II) ion solely and in a mixed bicomponent aqueous solutions. This cellulose-based carbogel shows an enhanced ability to remove both Cr(VI) (∼68 mg/g) and Pb(II) (∼240 mg/g) from the targeted solutions in comparison to other carbon materials reported in the literature. The presence of competing ions showed little effect on the adsorption efficiency toward Cr(VI) and Pb(II).

A model of a trigonal prism which is useful for teaching stereochemistry (especially of the neodymium enneahydrate ion), can be made easily by using a sealed, empty envelope. The steps necessary to accomplish this task are presented. (JN)

Bioactive phenols (BPs) are often targets in red wine analysis. However, other compounds interfere in the liquid chromatography methods used for this analysis. Here, purification procedures were tested to eliminate anthocyanin interference during the determination of 19 red-wine BPs. Liquid chromatography, coupled to a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) and a mass spectrometer (UPLC-MS), was used to compare the direct injection of the samples with solid-phase extractions: reversed-phase (C18) and strong cation-exchange (SCX). The HPLC-DAD method revealed that, out of 13BPs, only six are selectively analyzed with or without C18 treatment, whereas SCX enabled the detection of all BPs. The recovery with SCX was above 86.6% for eight BPs. Moreover, UPLC-MS demonstrated the potential of SCX sample preparation for the determination of 19BPs. The developed procedure may be extended to the analysis of other red wine molecules or to other analytical methods where anthocyanins may interfere.

Donnan membrane principle provides great opportunities for development of highly efficient adsorbents for toxic metals abatement. Based on the principle we prepared a new composite adsorbent by immobilizing polyethylenimine (PEI) nanoclusters within a macroporous cation exchanger D001 through self-crosslinking by glutaraldehyde upon Cu(II)-template process. Negligible PEI loss was observed from the resultant composite adsorbent D001-PEI-GA to solution of pHs 1-12. Increasing solution pH from 1 to 6 results in more favorable Cu(II) retention by D001-PEI-GA, and Cu(II) adsorption onto D001-PEI-GA follows the pseudo-second-order kinetic model well. Compared to D001, D001-PEI-GA displays more preferable Cu(II) sequestration in the presence of co-ions Mg(2+), Ca(2+), Sr(2+) at higher levels. Fixed-bed adsorption of a synthetic solution containing Cu(II) and other co-ions showed that Cu(II) sequestration on D001-PEI-GA could result in its conspicuous decrease from 5mg/L to below 0.01 mg/L with the treatment volume as high as 630 BV per run, while that for D001 was only ∼ 85 BV. Also, the spent composite adsorbent can be readily regenerated by HCl (0.3M)-NaCl (0.5M) binary solution for repeated use with negligible capacity loss.

The purpose of this project was to develop, optimize, and evaluate new separation methods for removal of hazardous (radionuclides and toxic non-radioactive contaminants) metal ions from either ground water or aqueous waste solutions produced during Decontamination and Decommissioning operations at DOE sites. Separation and concentration of the target ions will result in a substantial reduction in the volume of material requiring disposal or long-term storage. The target metal ions studied were uranium, thorium, lead, cadmium, and mercury along with chromium (as chromate). The methods tested use membrane ultrafiltration in conjunction with water-soluble polymers or surfactants with added metal-selective chelating agents. Laboratory scale tests showed removal of 99.0-99.9% of each metal tested in a single separation stage. The methods developed for selective removal of radionuclides (UO22+, Th4+) and toxic heavy metals (Pb2+, Cd2+, Hg2+) are applicable to two DOE focus areas; decontamination of sites and equipment, and in remediation of contaminated groundwater. Colloid-enhanced ultrafiltration methods have potential to be substantially less expensive than alternative methods and can result in less waste. Results of studies with varying solution composition (concentration, acidity) and filtration parameters (pressure, flow rate) have increased our understanding of the fundamental processes that control the metal ion separation and colloid recovery steps of the overall process. Further laboratory studies are needed to improve the ligand/colloid recovery step and field demonstration of the technology is needed to prove the applicability of the integrated process. A number of graduate students, post-doctoral associates, and research associates have received training and research experience in the areas of separation science, colloid chemistry, and metal ion coordination chemistry of radionuclides and

Pentaerythritol (PER) was esterified with 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide to synthesize a four-arm initiator 4Br-PER for atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Star-shaped copolymers (P(AM-co-DMAEMA)4, CSP) were prepared via ATRP using dimethyl aminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and acrylamide (AM) as comonomers, while Br-PER and CuBr/2,2‧-bipyridine (BPY) as the initiator and the catalyst, respectively. The resulting four-arm initiator and star-shaped polymer (CSP) were characterized with FT-IR, 1H NMR and Ubbelohde viscometry. Alkaline clay (AC) was immobilized with CSPs to yield amino groups, and the cationic star polymer-immobilized alkaline clay (CSP-AC) was applied to remove Cr(VI) from the aqueous solution in batch experiments. Various influencing factors, including pH, contact time and immobilization amount of CSP on adsorption capacity of CSP-AC for Cr(VI) were also investigated. The results demonstrated that Cr(VI) adsorption was highly pH dependent. The optimized pH value was 4.0. The adsorption isotherms of the adsorbent fit the Langmuir model well, with the maximum adsorption capacity of 137.9 mg/g at 30 °C. The material should be a promising adsorbent for Cr(VI) removal, with the advantages of high adsorption capacity.

The dynamic removal of copper by Purolite C100-MB cation exchange resin was studied in packed bed columns. The values of column parameters are predicted as a function of flow rate and bed height. Batch experiments were performed using the Na-form resin to determine equilibrium and kinetics of copper removal. The uptake of Cu(II) by this resin follows first-order kinetics. The effect of stirring speed and temperature on the removal kinetics was studied. The activation energy for the exchange reaction is 13.58kJmol(-1). The equilibrium data obtained in this study have been found to fit both the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm equations. A series of column tests were performed to determine the breakthrough curves with varying bed heights and flow rates. To predict the breakthrough curves and to determine the characteristic parameters of the column useful for process design, four kinetic models; Bohart-Adams, Bed Depth Service Time (BDST), Clark and Wolborska models are applied to experimental data. All models are found suitable for describing the whole or a definite part of the dynamic behavior of the column with respect to flow rate and bed height. The simulation of the whole breakthrough curve is effective with the Bohart-Adams and the Clark models, but the Bohart-Adams model is better. The breakthrough is best predicted by the Wolborska model. The breakthrough data gave a good fit to the BDST model, resulting in a bed exchange capacity very close to the value determined in the batch process.

We developed a new calcination method to convert coal gangue (CG), a common waste generated from coal production process, into a modified form, which could be used as an adsorbent to remove Mn(2+) from aqueous solution. Sodium tetraborate (Na2B4O7·10H2O) was added into the CG calcination process as an additive, and the concentrations of Na2B4O7·10H2O were optimized along with the calcination temperature to obtain the best adsorbent capacity of modified coal gangue (MCG). We applied multiple analytical methods such as scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis to characterize the MCG. The results showed it had a smaller particle size and a larger specific surface area and pore volume after modification. It also indicated that the phase of CG transformed from kaolinite to metakaolinite after calcination. Moreover, a new substance was generated with two new peaks at 1,632 cm(-1) and 799 cm(-1). The Mn(2+) absorption capacity of MCG was evaluated using a series of experiments with different adsorbent doses, pH values and initial Mn(2+) concentrations during the adsorption process. We found that Mn(2+) adsorbent capacity of MCG increased by more than seven-fold compared to that of CG. The Langmuir isotherm model and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model provided the best fit to the adsorption processes.

By using trypsin-treated human type O cells as indicators, we compared the abilities of four polyanion-divalent cation combinations (heparin-MnCl2; high-and low-molecular-weight dextran sulfate-CaCl2; and sodium polyanetholesulfonate [SPS]-CaCl2) for removal of serum non-immunoglobulin (lipoprotein) inhibitors of rubella hemagglutination. The combination of SPS-CaCl2 was found to be the most effective, precipitating completely the pre-β and β-lipoproteins and reducing the α-lipoprotein levels by more than 50%. Hemagglutination patterns after this treatment were clear and stable, and, when normal sera were tested, hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) titers were comparable to those obtained after standard heparin-MnCl2 treatment. High-molecular-weight dextran sulfate-CaCl2 removed serum lipoproteins almost as effectively as SPS-CaCl2. However, problems of nonspecific agglutination and the heavy hemagglutination patterns resulting made this combination unacceptable for routine purposes. Neither low-molecular-weight dextran sulfate-CaCl2 nor heparin-MnCl2 removed the pre-β lipoproteins completely, and occasionally traces of β-lipoprotein also remained after treatment. The presence of pre-β lipoproteins in normal sera after treatment may be of no consequence in the HI test since we have found that the very-low-density lipoprotein fractions obtained by ultracentrifugal methods from normal sera (those corresponding to the pre-β fractions obtained by electrophoresis) had no HI activity. However, very-low-density lipoprotein fractions from all hyperlipemic sera tested had HI activity (titers ranging from 1:16 to 1:1,024) which, in the majority of cases, was not eliminated after heparin-MnCl2 treatment. In every case, treatment with SPS-CaCl2 removed this nonspecific activity completely. Since hyperlipemic sera may occasionally be encountered in routine rubella HI antibody testing, we recommend the use of SPS-CaCl2 rather than heparin-MnCl2 for pretreatment of sera. PMID

Aggregate removal is one of the most important aspects in monoclonal antibody (mAb) purification. Cation-exchange chromatography (CEX), a widely used polishing step in mAb purification, is able to clear both process-related impurities and product-related impurities. In this study, with the implementation of quality by design (QbD), a process development approach for robust removal of aggregates using CEX is described. First, resin screening studies were performed and a suitable CEX resin was chosen because of its relatively better selectivity and higher dynamic binding capacity. Second, a pH-conductivity hybrid gradient elution method for the CEX was established, and the risk assessment for the process was carried out. Third, a process characterization study was used to evaluate the impact of the potentially important process parameters on the process performance with respect to aggregate removal. Accordingly, a process design space was established. Aggregate level in load is the critical parameter. Its operating range is set at 0-3% and the acceptable range is set at 0-5%. Equilibration buffer is the key parameter. Its operating range is set at 40 ± 5 mM acetate, pH 5.0 ± 0.1, and acceptable range is set at 40 ± 10 mM acetate, pH 5.0 ± 0.2. Elution buffer, load mass, and gradient elution volume are non-key parameters; their operating ranges and acceptable ranges are equally set at 250 ± 10 mM acetate, pH 6.0 ± 0.2, 45 ± 10 g/L resin, and 10 ± 20% CV respectively. Finally, the process was scaled up 80 times and the impurities removal profiles were revealed. Three scaled-up runs showed that the size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) purity of the CEX pool was 99.8% or above and the step yield was above 92%, thereby proving that the process is both consistent and robust.

Acquire Commodities Easily Card (AceCard) provides an automated end-user method to distribute company credit card charges to internal charge numbers. AceCard will allow cardholders to record card purchases in an on-line order log, enter multiple account distributions per order that can be posted to the General Ledger, track orders, and receipt information, and provide a variety of cardholder and administrative reports. Please note: Customers must contact Ed Soler (423)-576-6151, Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, for help with the installation of the package. The fee for this installation help will be coordinated by the customer and Lockheed Martin and is in addition to cost of the package from ESTSC. Customers should contact Sandy Presley (423)-576-4708 for user help.

Acquire Commodities Easily Card (AceCard) provides an automated end-user method to distribute company credit card charges to internal charge numbers. AceCard will allow cardholders to record card purchases in an on-line order log, enter multiple account distributions per order that can be posted to the General Ledger, track orders, and receipt information, and provide a variety of cardholder and administrative reports. Please note: Customers must contact Ed Soler (423)-576-6151, Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, for help with the installation of the package. The fee for this installation help will be coordinated by the customer and Lockheed Martin and is in addition to cost of the package from ESTSC. Customers should contact Sandy Presley (423)-576-4708 for user help.

New high capacity ion-exchange polymer material removes toxic metal cations from contaminated water. Offers several advantages. High sensitivities for such heavy metals as lead, cadmium, and copper and capable of reducing concentrations in aqueous solutions to parts-per-billion range. Removescations even when calcium present. Material made into variety of forms, such as thin films, coatings, pellets, and fibers. As result, adapted to many applications to purify contaminated water, usually hard wherever found, whether in wastewater-treatment systems, lakes, ponds, industrial plants, or homes. Another important feature that adsorbed metals easily reclaimed by either destructive or nondestructive process. Other tests show ion-exchange polymer made inexpensively; easy to use; strong, flexible, not easily torn; and chemically stable in storage, in aqueous solutions, and in acidic or basic solution.

Targeted thorium conjugates (TTCs) are being explored as a potential future platform for specific tumor targeting pharmaceuticals. In TTCs, the alpha emitting radionuclide thorium-227 ((227)Th) with a half-life of 18.697 d is labeled to targeting moieties, such as monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). The amount of daughter nuclide radium-223 ((223)Ra, t1/2 = 11.435 d) will increase during manufacture and distribution, and so a technology for purification is required to assure an acceptable level of (223)Ra is administrated to the patient. Since (223)Ra is the only progeny of (227)Th with a long half-life (days), the progenies of (223)Ra will have a very limited stay in the formulation once (223)Ra is removed. The focus in this study has, therefore, been on the removal of (223)Ra. In this study, the sorption and separation of (223)Ra (radium(II)) and (227)Th (thorium(IV)) on cation exchange columns has been evaluated as a purification method of decayed (227)Th (i.e. prior to radiolabelling of a mAb and formation of TTC). The goal is to minimize the sorption of (227)Th and maximize the sorption of (223)Ra. Statistical experimental design with formulation and process parameters, including buffered formulations comprising citrate and acetate, at various concentrations and pH, presence of free radical scavenger and chelator, and resin amount have been evaluated for impact on the purification process. The studies have been interpreted by the aid of multivariate data analysis. The correlations between design of experimental variables and sorption are summarized by regression models. The predictive accuracy of radionuclide sorption was given by standard deviation and 95% confidence intervals originating from statistical cross validation. Experimental results and statistical models for citrate-buffered formulations verified reproducible and acceptable sorption levels of (223)Ra and (227)Th under selected conditions. For acetate-buffered formulations, prediction of (227)Th

An in situ process for treating ambient solid materials (e.g., soils, aquifer solids, sludges) by adding one or more divalent metal cations to the ambient solid material. The added divalent metal cations, such as Cu.sup.2+ or Zn.sup.2+, combine with metal oxide/hydroxides (e.g., ferric oxide/hydroxide or aluminum oxide/hydroxide) already present in the ambient solid material to form an effective sorbent material having a large number of positively-charged surface complexes that binds and immobilizes anionic contaminant species (e.g., arsenic or chromate). Divalent metal cations can be added, for example, by injecting an aqueous solution of CuSO.sub.4 into an aquifer contaminated with arsenic or chromate. Also, sludges can be stabilized against leaching of anionic contaminants through the addition of divalent metal cations. Also, an inexpensive sorbent material can be easily formed by mixing divalent metal cations with soil that has been removed from the ground.

The discovery of a trans-stimulation property associated with lysine exodus from lysosomes of human fibroblasts has enabled us to characterize a system mediating the transport of cationic amino acids across the lysosomal membrane of human fibroblasts. The cationic amino acids arginine, lysine, ornithine, diaminobutyrate, histidine, 2-aminoethylcysteine, and the mixed disulfide of cysteine and cysteamine all caused trans-stimulation of the exodus of radiolabeled lysine from the lysosomal fraction of human fibroblasts at pH 6.5. In contrast, neutral and acidic amino acids did not affect the rate of lysine exodus. Trans-stimulation of lysine exodus was observed over the pH range from 5.5 to 7.6, was specific for the L-isomer of the cationic amino acid, and was intolerant to methylation of the alpha-amino group of the amino acid. The lysosomotropic amine, chloroquine, greatly retarded lysine exodus, whereas the presence of sodium ion was without effect. The specificity and lack of Na+ dependence of this lysosomal transport system is similar to that of System y+ present on the plasma membrane of human fibroblasts. An important mechanism by which cysteamine treatment of cystinosis allows cystine escape from lysosomes may be the ability of the mixed disulfide of cysteine and cysteamine formed by sulfhydryl-disulfide exchange to migrate by this newly discovered system mediating cationic amino acid transport.

Zeolites have attracted attention in the reprocessing of radioactive nuclear waste because of their high selective affinity for radioisotopes of Cs. Very recently, their useful properties have been widely utilized in decontamination after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants. In this study, we study the high selectivity in the Cs adsorption of zeolites using first-principles calculations and clarify the mechanism of the cation selectivity of zeolites. We obtain energy surfaces on all capture locations for Cs/Na ions inside the micropores of a zeolite, ``mordenite'', and find three crucial conditions for the highly ion-selective exchange of Na for Cs: i) micropores with a radius of ˜3 Å, ii) a moderate Al/Si ratio, and iii) a uniform distribution of Al atoms around each micropore. These insights suggest a guideline for developing zeolites with high Cs selectivity and for enhancing the cation selectivity in more general situations.

A new adsorbent (PGCP-COOH) having carboxylate functional group at the chain end was synthesized by grafting poly(hydroxyethylmethacrylate) onto coconut coir pith, CP (a coir industry-based lignocellulosic residue), using potassium peroxydisulphate as an initiator and in the presence of N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide as a cross-linking agent. The adsorbent was characterized with the help of infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and potentiometric titrations. The ability of PGCP-COOH to remove Hg(II) from aqueous solutions was assessed using batch adsorption technique under kinetic and equilibrium conditions. Adsorbent exhibits very high adsorption potential for Hg(II) and more than 99.0% removal was achieved in the pH range 5.5-8.0. Adsorption process was found to follow first-order-reversible kinetics. An increase of ionic strength of the medium caused a decrease in metal removal, indicating the occurrence of outer-sphere surface complex mechanism. The equilibrium data were fitted well by the Freundlich isotherm model (R(2)=0.99; chi(2)=1.81). The removal efficiency was tested using chlor-alkali industry wastewater. Adsorption isotherm experiments were also conducted for comparison using a commercial carboxylate-functionalized ion exchanger, Ceralite IRC-50. Regeneration experiments were tried for four cycles and results indicate a capacity loss of <9.0%.

A model of a square antiprism which is necessary for teaching stereochemistry (for example, of the octafluorotantalate ion) can be made easily by using a sealed, empty envelope. The steps necessary to accomplish this task are presented. (JN)

An easily constructed optical instrument for measuring the angle between the Sun and the horizon is described. The miniature sextant relies on multiple reflections to produce multiple images of the sun at fixed angles away from the true Sun.

MANY NURSES STRUGGLE with identifying electrocardiogram (ECG) rhythms, but rapidly interpreting primary ECG rhythms is an essential skill that every nurse should master. THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES an algorithm that nurses can use to easily interpret basic ECG rhythms.

The Experimental Avionics Systems Integration Laboratory (EASILY) is a comprehensive facility used for development, integration, and preflight validation of hardware and software systems for the Terminal Area Productivity (TAP) Program's Transport Systems Research Vehicle (TSRV) experimental transport aircraft. This report describes the history, capabilities, and subsystems of EASILY. A functional description of the many subsystems is provided to give potential users the necessary knowledge of the capabilities of this facility.

PLATYPUS (20]. Then, justifi- type 1, 4 and 5 can be guaranteed to be testable via cation paths are obtained from the STG using simple logic...next state lines is found, if such a vector par that is gnrt d y the trupt eexists, using PLATYPUS [20]. pair that is generated by the first corrupted

The compound N{sup 1}-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]diethylenetriamine was anchored onto Amazon kaolinite surface by heterogeneous route. The modified and natural kaolinite samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopic, X-ray diffraction, and nuclear magnetic nuclei of {sup 29}Si and {sup 13}C. The well-defined peaks obtained in the {sup 13}C NMR spectrum in the 5.0-62.1 ppm region confirmed the attachment of organic functional groups as pendant chains bonded into the porous clay. The ability of these materials to remove U(VI) from aqueous solution was followed by a series of adsorption isotherms adjusted to a Sips equation at room temperature and pH 4.0. The kinetic parameters analyzed by the Lagergren and Elovich models gave a good fit for a pseudo-second order reaction with k{sub 2} values 16.0 and 25.1 mmol g{sup -1} min{sup -1} ranges for natural and modified kaolinite clays, respectively. The energetic effects caused by metal ion adsorption were determined through calorimetric titrations. - Graphical abstract: This investigation reports the use of original and modified kaolinites as alternative absorbents. The compound N-[3-trimethoxysilyl)propyl]diethylenetriamine was anchored onto Amazon kaolinite surface by heterogeneous route.

Heterogeneous photocatalytic removal of Rhodamine-B (RhB) dye from liquid phase was done using anatase-phase nanocrystalline TiO2 synthesized via a modified sol-gel process. The anatase-phase nanocrystalline TiO2 was characterized using various analytical techniques including XRD, UV-vis DRS, PL, and FTIR to investigate its phase composition and structure, nanocrystalline size, band gap energy, photoluminescence and surface properties of the prepared systems. The photocatalytic discoloration efficiency of anatase-phase nanocrystalline titania was investigated by monitoring the decomposition of RhB dye as target compounds in an aqueous solution. The results showed that the as-prepared anatase-phase nanocrystalline TiO2 was excellent for degradation of RhB molecule, and the crystallite size, excitonic PL and surface hydroxyl content have intimate relationship with the decomposition efficiency of RhB. The reaction mechanism was proposed and the results demonstrate that the role of direct photolysis on RhB dye degradation can be neglected. Meanwhile, the Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model describes the photodecay date of RhB in consistent with a first order powder law and thus photocatalytic oxidation reaction followed a pseudo-first-order kinetics.

A special micromanipulation tool equipped with a plunger mounted in a small tube can be easily adapted to such work operations as cutting, precision clamping, and spot welding of microscopic filaments or other parts. This tool is valuable where extreme steadiness of high magnification is required.

Epoxy coating reduces punctures, abrasions, and contamination of synthetic cellular containers used for shipping and storing fragile goods and equipment. A wire band is wound around the closure joint, followed by the epoxy coating. The container can then be easily opened by pulling the wire through the epoxy around the joint.

In this paper, we present a laboratory activity in computed tomography (CT) primarily composed of a photogate and a rotary motion sensor that can be assembled quickly and partially automates data collection and analysis. We use an enclosure made with a light filter that is largely opaque in the visible spectrum but mostly transparent to the near IR light of the photogate (880 nm) to scan objects hidden from the human eye. This experiment effectively conveys how an image is formed during a CT scan and highlights the important physical and imaging concepts behind CT such as electromagnetic radiation, the interaction of light and matter, artefacts and windowing. Like our setup, previous undergraduate level laboratory activities which teach the basics of CT have also utilized light sources rather than x-rays; however, they required a more extensive setup and used devices not always easily found in undergraduate laboratories. Our setup is easily implemented with equipment found in many teaching laboratories.

Ionic polymer materials can generate an electrical potential from ion migration under an external force. For traditional ionic polymer metal composite sensors, the output voltage is very small (a few millivolts), and the fabrication process is complex and time-consuming. This letter presents an ionic polymer based network of pressure sensors which is easily and quickly constructed, and which can generate high voltage. A 3 × 3 sensor array was prepared by casting Nafion solution directly over copper wires. Under applied pressure, two different levels of voltage response were observed among the nine nodes in the array. For the group producing the higher level, peak voltages reached as high as 25 mV. Computational stress analysis revealed the physical origin of the different responses. High voltages resulting from the stress concentration and asymmetric structure can be further utilized to modify subsequent designs to improve the performance of similar sensors.

High-quality materials are critical for advances in plasmonics, especially as researchers now investigate quantum effects at the limit of single surface plasmons or exploit ultraviolet- or CMOS-compatible metals such as aluminum or copper. Unfortunately, due to inexperience with deposition methods, many plasmonics researchers deposit metals under the wrong conditions, severely limiting performance unnecessarily. This is then compounded as others follow their published procedures. In this perspective, we describe simple rules collected from the surface-science literature that allow high-quality plasmonic films of aluminum, copper, gold, and silver to be easily deposited with commonly available equipment (a thermal evaporator). Recipes are also provided so that films with optimal optical properties can be routinely obtained. PMID:25950012

In this study we present a highly versatile and easily configurable system for measuring plant electrophysiological parameters and ionic flow rates, connected to a computer-controlled highly accurate positioning device. The modular software used allows easy customizable configurations for the measurement of electrophysiological parameters. Both the operational tests and the experiments already performed have been fully successful and rendered a low noise and highly stable signal. Assembly, programming and configuration examples are discussed. The system is a powerful technique that not only gives precise measuring of plant electrophysiological status, but also allows easy development of ad hoc configurations that are not constrained to plant studies. •We developed a highly modular system for electrophysiology measurements that can be used either in organs or cells and performs either steady or dynamic intra- and extracellular measurements that takes advantage of the easiness of visual object-oriented programming.•High precision accuracy in data acquisition under electrical noisy environments that allows it to run even in a laboratory close to electrical equipment that produce electrical noise.•The system makes an improvement of the currently used systems for monitoring and controlling high precision measurements and micromanipulation systems providing an open and customizable environment for multiple experimental needs.

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome is an unpredictable iatrogenic neurologic emergency condition, mainly arising as an idiosyncratic reaction to antipsychotic agent use. It is characterized by distinctive clinical features including a change in mental status, generalized rigidity, hyperpyrexia, and dysautonomia. It can be lethal if not diagnosed and treated properly. Mortality and morbidity attributed to this syndrome have recently declined markedly due to greater awareness, earlier diagnosis, and intensive care intervention. In most cases, the syndrome occurs as a result of a rapid increase in a dose of neuroleptic, especially one of the long-acting ones. Pathophysiology behind this syndrome is attributed to a dopamine receptor blockade inside the neurons rendered by the offending drug and excessive calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum of skeletal myocytes. Laboratory tests, although not diagnostic, may assist in assessing the severity of the syndrome and also the consequent complications. The syndrome has been described in all age groups and occurs more in males than in females. Genetics appears to be central regarding the etiology of the syndrome. Stopping the use of the offending agent, cold intravenous fluids, and removal of the causative agent and its possible active metabolites is the cornerstone of treatment. Periodic observation of psychotic patients recently started on antipsychotic medications, especially those being treated with depot preparations, may aid to an early diagnosis of the syndrome and lead to early treatment. PMID:28144147

We report here the preparation of porous magnetic polyacrylamide microspheres for efficient removal of cationic dyes by a simple polymerization-induced phase separation method. Characterizations by various techniques indicate that the microspheres show porous structures and magnetic properties. They can adsorb methylene blue with high efficiency, with adsorption capacity increasing from 263 to 1977 mg/g as the initial concentration increases from 5 to 300 mg/L. Complete removal of methylene blue can be obtained even at very low concentrations. The equilibrium data is well described by the Langmuir isotherm models, exhibiting a maximum adsorption capacity of 1990 mg/g. The adsorption capacity increases with increasing initial pH and reaches a maximum at pH 8, revealing an electrostatic interaction between the microspheres and the methylene blue molecules. The microspheres also show high adsorption capacities for neutral red and gentian violet of 1937 and 1850 mg/g, respectively, as well as high efficiency in adsorption of mixed-dye solutions. The dye-adsorbed magnetic polyacrylamide microspheres can be easily desorbed, and can be repeatedly used for at least 6 cycles without losing the adsorption capacity. The adsorption capacity and efficiency of the microspheres are much higher than those of reported adsorbents, which exhibits potential practical application in removingcationic dyes.

Removal of phenols and aromatic amines from industrial wastewater by tyrosinase was investigated. A color change from colorless to dark brown was observed, but no precipitate was formed. Colored products were found to be easilyremoved by a combination treatment with tyrosinase and a cationic polymer coagulant containing amino group, such as hexamethylenediamine-epichlorohidrin polycondensate, polyethleneimine, or chitosan. The first two coagulants, synthetic polymers, were more effective than chitosan, a polymer produced in crustacean shells. Phenols and aromatic amines are not precipitated by any kind of coagulants, but their enzymatic reaction products are easily precipitated by a cationic polymer coagulant. These results indicate that the combination of tyrosinase and a cationic polymer coagulant is effective in removing carcinogenic phenols and aromatic amines from an aqueous solution. Immobilization of tyrosinase on magnetite gave a good retention of activity (80%) and storage stability i.e., only 5% loss after 15 days of storage at ambient temperature. In the treatment of immobilized tyrosinase, colored enzymatic reaction products were removed by less coagulant compared with soluble tyrosinase.

Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations and high-level ab initio computations predict that the cage-opening rearrangement of the cubyl cation to the 7H(+)-pentalenyl cation is feasible in the gas phase. The rate-determining step is the formation of the cuneyl cation with an activation barrier of 25.3 kcal mol(-1) at the CCSD(T)/def2-TZVP//MP2/def2-TZVP level. Thus, the cubyl cation is kinetically stable enough to be formed and trapped at moderate temperatures, but it may be rearranged at higher temperatures.

Monodispersed SiO2 particles functionalized with cationic polymers poly-((3-acrylamidopropyl)trimethylammonium chloride) (PAPTCl) were prepared using mussel inspired surface modification strategy and surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and zeta potential were employed to characterize these SiO2 samples. The adsorption performance of the functionalized SiO2 (donated as SiO2-PDA-PAPTCl) towards anionic organic dye Congo red (CR) was investigated to evaluate their potential environmental applications. We demonstrated that the surface of SiO2 particles can be successfully functionalized with cationic PAPTCl. The adsorption capability of as-prepared SiO2 was found to increases from 28.70 and 106.65mg/g after surface grafted with cationic polymers. The significant enhancement in the adsorption capability of SiO2-PDA-PAPTCl is mainly attributed to the introduction of cationic polymers. More importantly, this strategy is expected to be promising for fabrication of many other functional polymer nanocomposites for environmental applications due to the universality of mussel inspired chemistry and well designability and good monomer adaptability of SI-ATRP.

The present invention provides rhamnogalacturonan-II (RG-II) and relates to its ability to complex specific multivalent heavy metal cations. In the presence of boric acid, RG-II monomers form dimers that are cross-linked by a borate ester. The yield of such borate ester cross-linked dimers of RG-II is enhanced in the presence of specific heavy metal cations. The present invention further relates to the utility of RG-II in assays for the detection of specific heavy metal contamination; as a reagent useful in the removal of specific heavy metal cations contaminating foods and liquids, for example, fish, wines, etc.; as a pharmaceutical composition useful as an antidote in specific heavy metal cation poisoning; as a treatment for the detoxification of specific heavy metal cations from blood and/or tissues; and in a method of remediation of waters and soils contaminated with specific heavy metal cations. 15 figs.

The present invention provides rhamnogalacturonan-II (RG-II) and relates to its ability to complex specific multivalent heavy metal cations. In the presence of boric acid, RG-II monomers form dimers that are cross-linked by a borate ester. The yield of such borate ester cross-linked dimers of RG-II is enhanced in the presence of specific heavy metal cations. The present invention further relates to the utility of RG-II in assays for the detection of specific heavy metal contamination; as a reagent useful in the removal of specific heavy metal cations contaminating foods and liquids, for example, fish, wines, etc.; as a pharmaceutical composition useful as an antidote in specific heavy metal cation poisoning; as a treatment for the detoxification of specific heavy metal cations from blood and/or tissues; and in a method of remediation of waters and soils contaminated with specific heavy metal cations.

Synthesis of malachite@clay nanocomposite was successfully carried out for the removal of cationic (Methylene Blue, MB) and anionic dyes (Congo Red, CR) from synthetic wastewater. Nanocomposite was characterized by TEM, SEM, FT-IR, EDS analysis and zeta potential. TEM analysis indicated that the particle diameter of nanocomposite was in the range of 14 to 23nm. Various important parameters viz. contact time, concentration of dyes, nanocomposite dosage, temperature and solution pH were optimized to achieve maximum adsorption capacity. In the case of MB, removal decreased from 99.82% to 93.67% while for CR, removal decreased from 88.55% to 75.69% on increasing dye concentration from 100 to 450mg/L. pH study confirmed the higher removal of CR in acidic range while MB removal was higher in alkaline range. Kinetic study revealed the applicability of pseudo-second-order model for the adsorption of both dyes. Negative values of ΔG(0) for both systems suggested the feasibility of dye removal and support for spontaneous adsorption of CR and MB on nanocomposite. Nanocomposite showed 277.77 and 238.09mg/g Langmuir adsorption capacity for MB and CR respectively. Desorption of dyes from the dye loaded nanocomposite was easily carried out with acetone. The results indicate that the prepared malachite@clay nanocomposite is an efficient adsorbent with high adsorption capacity for the aforementioned dyes.

A method is described for removing bubbles from a liquid bath such as a bath of molten glass to be used for optical elements. Larger bubbles are first removed by applying acoustic energy resonant to a bath dimension to drive the larger bubbles toward a pressure well where the bubbles can coalesce and then be more easilyremoved. Thereafter, submillimeter bubbles are removed by applying acoustic energy of frequencies resonant to the small bubbles to oscillate them and thereby stir liquid immediately about the bubbles to facilitate their breakup and absorption into the liquid.

An easily recoverable homemade TiO2 catalyst (GICA-1) has been evaluated during the overall photodegradation process, understood as photocatalytic efficiency and catalyst recovery step, in the solar light-assisted photodegradation of isoproturon and its reuse in two consecutive cycles. The global feasibility has been compared to the commercial TiO2 P25. The homemade GICA-1 catalyst presented better sedimentation efficiency than TiO2 P25 at all studied pHs, which could be explained by its higher average hydrodynamic particle size (3 μm) and other physicochemical surface properties. The evaluation of the overall process (isoproturon photo-oxidation + catalyst recovery) revealed GICA-1 homemade titania catalyst strengths: total removal of isoproturon in less than 60 min, easy recovery by sedimentation, and reusability in two consecutive cycles, without any loss of photocatalytic efficiency. Therefore, considering the whole photocatalytic cycle (good performance in photodegradation plus catalyst recovery step), the homemade GICA-1 photocatalyst resulted in more affordability than commercial TiO2 P25. Graphical abstract.

Adsorbents prepared easily by impregnation of fumed silica with polyethylenimine (PEI) are promising candidates for the capture of CO2 directly from the air. These inexpensive adsorbents have high CO2 adsorption capacity at ambient temperature and can be regenerated in repeated cycles under mild conditions. Despite the very low CO2 concentration, they are able to scrub efficiently all CO2 out of the air in the initial hours of the experiments. The influence of parameters such as PEI loading, adsorption and desorption temperature, particle size, and PEI molecular weight on the adsorption behavior were investigated. The mild regeneration temperatures required could allow the use of waste heat available in many industrial processes as well as solar heat. CO2 adsorption from the air has a number of applications. Removal of CO2 from a closed environment, such as a submarine or space vehicles, is essential for life support. The supply of CO2-free air is also critical for alkaline fuel cells and batteries. Direct air capture of CO2 could also help mitigate the rising concerns about atmospheric CO2 concentration and associated climatic changes, while, at the same time, provide the first step for an anthropogenic carbon cycle.

Adsorbents prepared easily by impregnation of fumed silica with polyethylenimine (PEI) are promising candidates for the capture of CO2 directly from the air. These inexpensive adsorbents have high CO2 adsorption capacity at ambient temperature and can be regenerated in repeated cycles under mild conditions. Despite the very low CO2 concentration, they are able to scrub efficiently all CO2 out of the air in the initial hours of the experiments. The influence of parameters such as PEI loading, adsorption and desorption temperature, particle size, and PEI molecular weight on the adsorption behavior were investigated. The mild regeneration temperatures required could allow the use of waste heat available in many industrial processes as well as solar heat. CO2 adsorption from the air has a number of applications. Removal of CO2 from a closed environment, such as a submarine or space vehicles, is essential for life support. The supply of CO2-free air is also critical for alkaline fuel cells and batteries. Direct air capture of CO2 could also help mitigate the rising concerns about atmospheric CO2 concentration and associated climatic changes, while, at the same time, provide the first step for an anthropogenic carbon cycle.

It is assumed to be common knowledge that multivalent cations cross-link soil organic matter (SOM) molecules via cation bridges (CaB). The concept has not been explicitly demonstrated in solid SOM by targeted experiments, yet. Therefore, the requirements for and characteristics of CaB remain unidentified. In this study, a combined experimental and molecular modeling approach was adopted to investigate the interaction of cations on a peat OM from physicochemical perspective. Before treatment with salt solutions of Al3+, Ca2+ or Na+, respectively, the original exchangeable cations were removed using cation exchange resin. Cation treatment was conducted at two different values of pH prior to adjusting pH to 4.1. Cation sorption is slower (>>2 h) than deprotonation of functional groups (<2 h) and was described by a Langmuir model. The maximum uptake increased with pH of cation addition and decreased with increasing cation valency. Sorption coefficients were similar for all cations and at both pH. This contradicts the general expectations for electrostatic interactions, suggesting that not only the interaction chemistry but also spatial distribution of functional groups in OM determines binding of cations in this peat. The reaction of contact angle, matrix rigidity due to water molecule bridges (WaMB) and molecular mobility of water (NMR analysis) suggested that cross-linking via CaB has low relevance in this peat. This unexpected finding is probably due to the low cation exchange capacity, resulting in low abundance of charged functionalities. Molecular modeling demonstrates that large average distances between functionalities (∼3 nm in this peat) cannot be bridged by CaB-WaMB associations. However, aging strongly increased matrix rigidity, suggesting successive increase of WaMB size to connect functionalities and thus increasing degree of cross-linking by CaB-WaMB associations. Results thus demonstrated that the physicochemical structure of OM is decisive for Ca

It is assumed to be common knowledge that multivalent cations cross-link soil organic matter (SOM) molecules via cation bridges (CaB). The concept has not been explicitly demonstrated in solid SOM by targeted experiments, yet. Therefore, the requirements for and characteristics of CaB remain unidentified. In this study, a combined experimental and molecular modeling approach was adopted to investigate the interaction of cations on a peat OM from physicochemical perspective. Before treatment with salt solutions of Al(3+), Ca(2+) or Na(+), respectively, the original exchangeable cations were removed using cation exchange resin. Cation treatment was conducted at two different values of pH prior to adjusting pH to 4.1. Cation sorption is slower (>2 h) than deprotonation of functional groups (<2 h) and was described by a Langmuir model. The maximum uptake increased with pH of cation addition and decreased with increasing cation valency. Sorption coefficients were similar for all cations and at both pH. This contradicts the general expectations for electrostatic interactions, suggesting that not only the interaction chemistry but also spatial distribution of functional groups in OM determines binding of cations in this peat. The reaction of contact angle, matrix rigidity due to water molecule bridges (WaMB) and molecular mobility of water (NMR analysis) suggested that cross-linking via CaB has low relevance in this peat. This unexpected finding is probably due to the low cation exchange capacity, resulting in low abundance of charged functionalities. Molecular modeling demonstrates that large average distances between functionalities (∼3 nm in this peat) cannot be bridged by CaB-WaMB associations. However, aging strongly increased matrix rigidity, suggesting successive increase of WaMB size to connect functionalities and thus increasing degree of cross-linking by CaB-WaMB associations. Results thus demonstrated that the physicochemical structure of OM is decisive for

Chlorophyll a undergoes reversible one-electron oxidation in dichloromethane and butyronitrile. Removal of the electron by controlled potential electrolysis or by stoichiometric charge transfer to a known cation radical yields a radical (epr line width = 9 gauss, g = 2.0025 +/- 0.0001) whose optical spectrum is bleached relative to that of chlorophyll. Upon electrophoresis this bleached species behaves as a cation. By comparison with the known properties of pi-cation radicals of porphyrins and chlorins, the chlorophyll radical is also identified as a pi-cation. Further correlation of optical and epr properties with published studies on photosynthesis leads to the conclusion that oxidized P700, the first photochemical product of photosystem I in green plants, contains a pi-cation radical of the chlorin component of chlorophyll a. This radical is the likely source of the rapidly-decaying, narrow epr signal of photosynthesis.

Using density functional theory and geochemical speciation modelling, we predicted how solid-fluid interfacial energy is changed, when divalent cations substitute into a calcite surface. The effect on wettability can be dramatic. Trace metal uptake can impact organic compound adsorption, with effects for example, on the ability of organisms to control crystal growth and our ability to predict the wettability of pore surfaces. Wettability influences how easily an organic phase can be removed from a surface, either organic compounds from contaminated soil or crude oil from a reservoir. In our simulations, transition metals substituted exothermically into calcite and more favourably into sites at the surface than in the bulk, meaning that surface properties are more strongly affected than results from bulk experiments imply. As a result of divalent cation substitution, calcite-fluid interfacial energy is significantly altered, enough to change macroscopic contact angle by tens of degrees. Substitution of Sr, Ba and Pb makes surfaces more hydrophobic. With substitution of Mg and the transition metals, calcite becomes more hydrophilic, weakening organic compound adsorption. For biomineralisation, this provides a switch for turning on and off the activity of organic crystal growth inhibitors, thereby controlling the shape of the associated mineral phase.

Using density functional theory and geochemical speciation modelling, we predicted how solid-fluid interfacial energy is changed, when divalent cations substitute into a calcite surface. The effect on wettability can be dramatic. Trace metal uptake can impact organic compound adsorption, with effects for example, on the ability of organisms to control crystal growth and our ability to predict the wettability of pore surfaces. Wettability influences how easily an organic phase can be removed from a surface, either organic compounds from contaminated soil or crude oil from a reservoir. In our simulations, transition metals substituted exothermically into calcite and more favourably into sites at the surface than in the bulk, meaning that surface properties are more strongly affected than results from bulk experiments imply. As a result of divalent cation substitution, calcite-fluid interfacial energy is significantly altered, enough to change macroscopic contact angle by tens of degrees. Substitution of Sr, Ba and Pb makes surfaces more hydrophobic. With substitution of Mg and the transition metals, calcite becomes more hydrophilic, weakening organic compound adsorption. For biomineralisation, this provides a switch for turning on and off the activity of organic crystal growth inhibitors, thereby controlling the shape of the associated mineral phase. PMID:27352933

We tested the influence of the preparation conditions of the quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) modified clays on their capacities to remove red tide organisms, then discussed the mechanisms of the organo-clays removing red tide organisms. Hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA) improved the capacity of clays to flocculate red tide algae, and the HDTMA in metastable state enhanced the toxicity of the clay complexes to algae. The capacities of the organo-clays correlated with the toxicity and the adsorbed amount of the QACs used in clays modification, but as the incubation time was prolonged the stability of the organo-clays was improved and the algal removal efficiencies of the clay complexes decreased. When the adsorbed HDTMA was arranged in different clays in which the spatial resistance was different, there was more HDTMA in metastable state in the three-layer montmorillonite. Because of the homo-ion effect the bivalent or trivalent metal ions induced more HDTMA in metastable state and the corresponding organo-clays had high capacities to remove red tide organisms. When the reaction temperature was 60 degrees C the adsorbed HDTMA was easily arranged on cation exchange sites, if the temperature rose or fell the metastable HDTMA would increase so that the capacity of the clays was improved.

Interdiffusion couple experiments were performed with titanomagnetite single crystals at 1,000°C, 1,100° C and 1,200° C in various buffered atmospheres. The dependence of the interdiffusion coefficient on oxygen fugacity, composition and temperature was interpreted in terms of point defect structure. Estimates of the cation tracer diffusivities indicate that Fe migrates via a point defect mechanism, involving mixed tetrahedral-octahedral site jumps, with an activation energy of 33 Kcal/mole; whereas Ti migration is one to two orders of magnitude slower, is restricted to octahedral sites and has an activation energy of 60 Kcal/mole.

Vegard's law describes the empirical relationship between the crystal lattice parameter of a mixture and its components. This relationship holds for some sodalites, in particular those containing mixtures of Li, K and Na as the charge balancing cations. By utilizing previously published lattice parameters for Li/Na and K/Na mixed cation chloride sodalites, linear curves were drawn allowing the composition of the mixed cation sodalites to be determined from their lattice parameters. Further, by mathematical addition of the curves for Li/Na and K/Na mixed cation chloride sodalites, a linear curve was developed and tested for the mixed tri-cation Li/Na/K chloride sodalites. This provides a simple way to monitor the composition of mixed cation sodalites and has an application in monitoring the composition of multi-phase materials where the sodalite phase cannot be easily separated for elemental analysis.

We present a state-of-the-art computational study of the uranyl(vi) and uranyl(v) cation-cation interactions (dications) in aqueous solution. Reliable electronic structures of two interacting uranyl(vi) and uranyl(v) subunits as well as those of the uranyl(vi) and uranyl(v) clusters are presented for the first time. Our theoretical study elucidates the impact of cation-cation interactions on changes in the molecular structure as well as changes in vibrational and UV-Vis spectra of the bare uranyl(vi) and uranyl(v) moieties for different total spin-states and total charges of the dications.

Presents a low cost system with easily replaced electrodes for use in general chemistry. Notes the accuracy and wide applicability permit easy use in physical or quantitative chemistry experiments. Provides schematic, theory, and helpful suggestions. (MVL)

A model of twin octahedrons having a common line which is useful for teaching stereochemistry (especially that of complex ions) can be made easily by using a sealed, empty envelope. The steps necessary to accomplish this task are presented. (JN)

1. Native Xenopus oocytes were voltage clamped and exposed to Ringer solutions containing low concentrations of divalent cations. Oocytes, held at -60 mV, developed a reversible non-inactivating smooth inward current (Ic) associated with an increase in membrane conductance. 2. Ic was selectively carried by cations (Na+, K+), indicating that the current was not the result of a non-specific membrane breakdown, but was due instead to removal of a blocking effect of divalent cations on a specific population of endogenous ionic channels located in the oocyte membrane. 3. The blocking effects of Ca2+ and Mg2+ were voltage dependent, implying action at a binding site within the pore of the cationic channel. For example, the half-maximal inhibition (IC50) of Ic by Ca2+ was 61 microM in oocytes held at -60 mV and 212 microM in oocytes held at 0 mV. 4. The Ic channels could be unblocked by depolarization of the membrane even in the presence of physiological concentrations of Ca2+ or Mg2+. The unblocking of the channels was observed as a slowly developing outward current. 5. The novel cationic current was substantially reduced following in vitro maturation of oocytes by treatment with progesterone (10 microM, 4-5 h). 6. The physiological role of Ic channels remains to be elucidated. Nonetheless, their characteristics explain the ionic basis of the sensitivity of oocytes to reductions in extracellular divalent cations and raise the possibility that the channels play a role in calcium homeostasis. PMID:7542710

The goal of this research was to provide an improved understanding of the interactions between alkaline earth metals and DOM under conditions that are encountered during drinking water treatment with particular focus on cation exchange. Both magnetically enhanced and nonmagnetic cation exchange resins were converted to Na, Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba mobile counterion forms as a novel approach to investigate the exchange behavior between the cations and the interactions between the cations and DOM. The results show that cation exchange is a robust process for removal of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) considering competition with cations on the resin surface and presence of DOM. DOM was actively involved during the cation exchange process through complexation, adsorption, and coprecipitation reactions. In addition to advancing the understanding of ion exchange processes for water treatment, the results of this work are applicable to membrane pretreatment to minimize fouling, treatment of membrane concentrate, and precipitative softening.

In this experiment, a rapid mass-transfer inner loop fluidized bed biofilm reactor (ILFBBR) was employed to treat synthetic high ammonia nitrogen-containing (NH(4)(+)-N) wastewater by shortcut nitriﬁcation-denitriﬁcation. The reactor operation was stable after a short start-up period. Ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) were predominant and 65% nitrite (NO(2)(-)-N/NO(x)(-)-N) levels were achieved. During the nitriﬁcation-denitriﬁcation period, the removal rates of NH(4)(+)-N and total nitrogen (TN) reached 94 and 82%, respectively. From the material balance, it was indicated that 87% of NH(4)(+)-N was removed by shortcut nitrification. The features of ILFBBR and the beneﬁts of shortcut nitrification were combined in this experiment, and showed an excellent removal of NH(4)(+)-N from high-concentration NH(4)(+)-N wastewater.

The application of cationic liposomes as vaccine delivery systems and adjuvants has been investigated extensively over the last few decades. However, cationic liposomes are, in general, not sufficiently immunostimulatory, which is why the combination of liposomes with immunostimulating ligands has arisen as a strategy in the development of novel adjuvant systems. Within the last 5 years, two novel adjuvant systems based on cationic liposomes incorporating Toll-like receptor or non-Toll-like receptor immunostimulating ligands have progressed from preclinical testing in smaller animal species to clinical testing in humans. The immune responses that these clinical candidates induce are primarily of the Th1 type for which there is a profound unmet need. Furthermore, a number of new cationic liposome-forming surfactants with notable immunostimulatory properties have been discovered. In this article we review the recent progress on the application of cationic liposomes as vaccine delivery systems/adjuvants.

A classroom activity is presented, which can be used in teaching students statistics with an easily generated, large, real world data set. The activity consists of analyzing a video recording of an object. The colour data of the recorded object can then be used as a data set to explore variation in the data using graphs including histograms,…

Seven easily obtainable background variables, such as number of persons, rooms, or cars per family dwelling; kindergarten attendance; and sex were found to have a multiple correlation of .52 with a standard achievement test for a large sample of fourth grade pupils in a metropolitan school district. (JKS)

Extractive electrospray ionization is an ambient ionization technique that allows real-time sampling of liquid samples, including organic aerosols. Similar to electrospray ionization, the composition of the electrospray solvent used in extractive electrospray ionization can easily be altered to form metal cationized molecules during ionization simply by adding a metal salt to the electrospray solvent. An increase in sensitivity is observed for some molecules that are lithium, sodium, or silver cationized compared with the protonated molecule formed in extractive electrospray ionization with an acid additive. Tandem mass spectrometry of metal cationized molecules can also significantly improve the ability to identify a compound. Tandem mass spectrometry of lithium and silver cationized molecules can result in an increase in the number and uniqueness of dissociation pathways relative to [M + H](+). These results highlight the potential for extractive electrospray ionization with metal cationization in analyzing complex aerosol mixtures. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Extractive electrospray ionization is an ambient ionization technique that allows real-time sampling of liquid samples, including organic aerosols. Similar to electrospray ionization, the composition of the electrospray solvent used in extractive electrospray ionization can easily be altered to form metal cationized molecules during ionization simply by adding a metal salt to the electrospray solvent. An increase in sensitivity is observed for some molecules that are lithium, sodium, or silver cationized compared with the protonated molecule formed in extractive electrospray ionization with an acid additive. Tandem mass spectrometry of metal cationized molecules can also significantly improve the ability to identify a compound. Tandem mass spectrometry of lithium and silver cationized molecules can result in an increase in the number and uniqueness of dissociation pathways relative to [M + H]+. These results highlight the potential for extractive electrospray ionization with metal cationization in analyzing complex aerosol mixtures.

With more pharmaceuticals and personal care products detected in the surface and waste waters, studies on interactions between these contaminants and soils or sediments have attracted great attention. In this study, the removal of ciprofloxacin (CIP), a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, by birnessite, a layered manganese oxide, in aqueous solution was investigated by batch studies supplemented by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared analyses. Stoichiometric release of exchangeable cations accompanying CIP removal from water confirmed cation exchange as the major mechanism for CIP uptake by birnessite. Interlayer expansion after CIP adsorption on birnessite as revealed by XRD analyses indicated that intercalation contributed significantly to CIP uptake in addition to external surface adsorption. Correlation of CIP adsorption to specific surface area and cation exchange capacity suggested that the former was the limiting factor for CIP uptake. At the adsorption maximum, CIP molecules formed a monolayer on the birnessite surfaces. The adsorbed CIP could be partially removed using a cationic surfactant at a low initial concentration and mostly removed by AlCl3 at a higher initial concentration, which further supported the cation exchange mechanism for CIP removal by birnessite. The results indicated that the presence of layered Mn-oxide in the soil and waste water treatment systems may provide host for CIP accumulation.

The ability to design ion-selective, synthetic nanotubes which mimic biological ion channels may have significant implications for the future treatment of bacteria, diseases, and as ultrasensitive biosensors. We present the design of a synthetic nanotube made from carbon atoms that selectively allows monovalent cations to move across and rejects all anions. The cation-selective nanotube mimics some of the salient properties of biological ion channels. Before practical nanodevices are successfully fabricated it is vital that proof-of-concept computational studies are performed. With this in mind we use molecular and stochastic dynamics simulations to characterize the dynamics of ion permeation across a single-walled (10, 10), 36 Å long, carbon nanotube terminated with carboxylic acid with an effective radius of 5.08 Å. Although cations encounter a high energy barrier of 7 kT, its height is drastically reduced by a chloride ion in the nanotube. The presence of a chloride ion near the pore entrance thus enables a cation to enter the pore and, once in the pore, it is chaperoned by the resident counterion across the narrow pore. The moment the chaperoned cation transits the pore, the counterion moves back to the entrance to ferry another ion. The synthetic nanotube has a high sodium conductance of 124 pS and shows linear current-voltage and current-concentration profiles. The cation-anion selectivity ratio ranges from 8 to 25, depending on the ionic concentrations in the reservoirs.

We investigate the effect of cations with different valences on the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of silicon dioxide films. The removal rate and surface roughness of the silicon-dioxide-film post-CMP are checked for the silica-based slurry with different cation salts (NaCl, CaCl2, AlCl3). Meanwhile, the particle size and size distribution of the slurries are characterized to test their lifetimes. The result shows that the three kinds of salts can improve the polishing removal rate from around 20 nm/min to 120 nm/min without affecting the surface roughness when the polishing slurry is stable. With increasing valence of cations, the polishing slurry requires less cation concentration to be added to improve the removal rate, while keeping a superior surface topography and maintaining a longer lifetime as well.

Apparatus removes precipitated inorganic salts and other solids in water-recycling process. Designed for use with oxidation in supercritical water which treats wastes and yields nearly pure water. Heating coils and insulation around vessel keep it hot. Locking bracket seals vessel but allows it to be easily opened for replacement of filled canisters.

We report the synthesis of alloyed quaternary and quinary nanocrystals based on copper chalcogenides, namely, copper zinc selenide–sulfide (CZSeS), copper tin selenide–sulfide (CTSeS), and copper zinc tin selenide–sulfide (CZTSeS) nanoplatelets (NPLs) (∼20 nm wide) with tunable chemical composition. Our synthesis scheme consisted of two facile steps: i.e., the preparation of copper selenide–sulfide (Cu2–xSeyS1–y) platelet shaped nanocrystals via the colloidal route, followed by an in situ cation exchange reaction. During the latter step, the cation exchange proceeded through a partial replacement of copper ions by zinc or/and tin cations, yielding homogeneously alloyed nanocrystals with platelet shape. Overall, the chemical composition of the alloyed nanocrystals can easily be controlled by the amount of precursors that contain cations of interest (e.g., Zn, Sn) to be incorporated/alloyed. We have also optimized the reaction conditions that allow a complete preservation of the size, morphology, and crystal structure as that of the starting Cu2–xSeyS1–y NPLs. The alloyed NPLs were characterized by optical spectroscopy (UV–vis–NIR) and cyclic voltammetry (CV), which demonstrated tunability of their light absorption characteristics as well as their electrochemical band gaps. PMID:25050455

We report the synthesis of alloyed quaternary and quinary nanocrystals based on copper chalcogenides, namely, copper zinc selenide-sulfide (CZSeS), copper tin selenide-sulfide (CTSeS), and copper zinc tin selenide-sulfide (CZTSeS) nanoplatelets (NPLs) (∼20 nm wide) with tunable chemical composition. Our synthesis scheme consisted of two facile steps: i.e., the preparation of copper selenide-sulfide (Cu2-xSeyS1-y) platelet shaped nanocrystals via the colloidal route, followed by an in situ cation exchange reaction. During the latter step, the cation exchange proceeded through a partial replacement of copper ions by zinc or/and tin cations, yielding homogeneously alloyed nanocrystals with platelet shape. Overall, the chemical composition of the alloyed nanocrystals can easily be controlled by the amount of precursors that contain cations of interest (e.g., Zn, Sn) to be incorporated/alloyed. We have also optimized the reaction conditions that allow a complete preservation of the size, morphology, and crystal structure as that of the starting Cu2-xSeyS1-y NPLs. The alloyed NPLs were characterized by optical spectroscopy (UV-vis-NIR) and cyclic voltammetry (CV), which demonstrated tunability of their light absorption characteristics as well as their electrochemical band gaps.

A practical aminocyclization of 1,6-enynes with a wide variety of substituted anilines, including N-alkyl anilines, has been achived by using cationic [JohnPhosAu(MeCN)]SbF6 as a general purpose catalyst. The resulting adducts can be easily converted into polycyclic compounds by palladium- and gold-catalyzed reactions.

A practical aminocyclization of 1,6-enynes with a wide variety of substituted anilines, including N-alkyl anilines, has been achived by using cationic [JohnPhosAu(MeCN)]SbF6 as a general purpose catalyst. The resulting adducts can be easily converted into polycyclic compounds by palladium- and gold-catalyzed reactions. PMID:26839084

Here we evaluate removal of cadmium ions from water by nanoparticle-enhanced ultrafiltration using polymer and zeolite nanoparticles. This evaluation considered nanoparticle physical-chemical properties, metal-binding kinetics, capacity and reversibility, and ultrafiltration separation for a Linde type A zeolite nanocrystals, poly(acrylic acid), alginic acid, and carboxyl-functionalized PAMAM dendrimers in simple, laboratory prepared ionic solutions. The three synthetic materials exhibited fast binding kinetics and strong affinity for cadmium, with good regeneration capabilities. Only the zeolite nanoparticles were completely rejected by the ultrafiltration membranes tested. Overall, colloidal zeolites performed similar to conventional metal binding polymers, but were more easily recovered using relatively loose filtration membranes (i.e., lower energy consumption). Further, the superhydrophilic colloidal zeolites caused relatively little flux decline even in the presence of divalent cations which caused dense, highly impermeable polymer gels to form over the membranes. These results suggest zeolite nanoparticles may compete with polymeric materials in low-pressure hybrid filtration processes designed to remove toxic metals from water.

The hepatitis delta virus (HDV) ribozyme catalyzes viral RNA self-cleavage through general acid-base chemistry in which an active-site cytidine and at least one metal ion are involved. Monovalent metal ions support slow catalysis and were proposed to substitute for structural, but not catalytic, divalent metal ions in the RNA. To investigate the role of monovalent cations in ribozyme structure and function, we determined the crystal structure of the precursor HDV ribozyme in the presence of thallium ions (Tl(+)). Two Tl(+) ions can occupy a previously observed divalent metal ion hexahydrate-binding site located near the scissile phosphate, but are easily competed away by cobalt hexammine, a magnesium hexahydrate mimic and potent reaction inhibitor. Intriguingly, a third Tl(+) ion forms direct inner-sphere contacts with the ribose 2'-OH nucleophile and the pro-S(p) scissile phosphate oxygen. We discuss possible structural and catalytic implications of monovalent cation binding for the HDV ribozyme mechanism.

The presence of significant amounts of clay in tight-gas sand formations makes the determination of cation exchange capacities (CEC) important for electric-log, self potential (SP), and gamma ray log interpretation. In the past, CEC measurements have been difficult and time-consuming to obtain. However, an automated method that avoids many difficulties of other techniques while determining the CEC's of many samples at one time has been described by Worthington. This work is a modification of the work done by Worthington. Easily assembled commercial equipment instead of specially built equipment is used to agitate rock samples contained in dialysis membrane bags during ion exchange with barium acetate solution and during washing of the samples to remove excess barium ions. Barium acetate is used as the source of barium ions instead of barium chloride, which is used in Worthington's procedure, to avoid corrosion of the stainless steel equipment. The amount of barium ions on the rock samples is then determined by conductometric titration with magnesium sulfate. The titration procedure is not automated. In addition, the use of the barium ion method was extended to samples with CEC values an order of magnitude lower than those determined by Worthington. Most measured CEC's for the western tight-gas sands ranged from 0.5 to 10 meq/100 g with a few to 19 meg/100 g. A comparison of barium acetate, adsorbed water, and ammonium acetate methods for determining CEC's is made.

The presence of significant amounts of clay in tight-gas sand formations makes the determination of cation exchange capacities (CEC) important for electric-log, self potential (SP), and gamma ray log interpretation. In the past, CEC measurements have been difficult and time-consuming to obtain. However, an automated method that avoids many difficulties of other techniques while determining the CEC's of many samples at one time has been described by Worthington. This work is a modification of the work done by Worthington. Easily assembled commercial equipment instead of specially built equipment is used to agitate rock samples contained in dialysis membrane bags during ion exchange with barium acetate solution and during washing of the samples to remove excess barium ions. Barium acetate is used as the source of barium ions instead of barium chloride, which is used in Worthington's procedure, to avoid corrosion of the stainless steel equipment. The amount of barium ions on the rock samples is then determined by conductometric titration with magnesium sulfate. The titration procedure is not automated. In addition, the use of the barium ion method was extended to samples with CEC values an order of magnitude lower than those determined by Worthington.

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is one of the most important grain crops in the world. The nuclear male sterility (NMS) trait, which is caused by mutations on the nuclear gene, is valuable for hybrid breeding and genetic studies. Several NMS mutants have been reported previously, but none of them were well characterized. Here, we present our detailed morphological characterization of a new and easily recognizable NMS sorghum mutant male sterile 8 (ms8) isolated from an elite inbred BTx623 mutagenized by ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS). Our results show that the ms8 mutant phenotype was caused by a mutation on a single recessive nuclear gene that is different from all available NMS loci reported in sorghum. In fertile sorghum plants, yellow anthers appeared first during anthesis, while in the ms8 mutant, white hairy stigma emerged first and only small white anthers were observed, making ms8 plants easily recognizable when flowering. The ovary development and seed production after manual pollination are normal in the ms8 mutant, indicating it is female fertile and male sterile only. We found that ms8 anthers did not produce pollen grains. Further analysis revealed that ms8 anthers were defective in tapetum development, which led to the arrest of pollen formation. As a stable male sterile mutant across different environments, greenhouses, and fields in different locations, the ms8 mutant could be a useful breeding tool. Moreover, ms8 might be an important for elucidating male gametophyte development in sorghum and other plants. PMID:28052078

Background Malignant airway obstruction is a feared complication and will most probably occur more frequently in the future because of increasing cancer incidence and increased life expectancy in cancer patients. Minimal invasive treatment using airway stents represents a meaningful and life-saving palliation. We present a new removable airway stent for improved individualised treatment. Methods To our knowledge, the new airway stent is the world's first knitted and uncovered self-expanding metal stent, which can unravel and be completely removed. In an in vivo model using two anaesthetised and spontaneously breathing pigs, we deployed and subsequently removed the stents by unravelling the device. The procedures were executed by flexible bronchoscopy in an acute and a chronic setting – a ‘proof-of-principle’ study. Results The new stent was easily and accurately deployed in the central airways, and it remained fixed in its original position. It was easy to unravel and completely remove from the airways without clinically significant complications. During the presence of the stent in the chronic study, granulation tissue was induced. This tissue disappeared spontaneously with the removal. Conclusions The new removable stent functioned according to its purpose and unravelled easily, and it was completely removed without significant technical or medical complications. Induced granulation tissue disappeared spontaneously. Further studies on animals and humans are needed to define its optimal indications and future use. PMID:27608269

Mineral oil heated to temperature of 250 degrees F (121 degrees C) found effective in removing wax from workpieces after fabrication. Depending upon size and shape of part to be cleaned of wax, part immersed in tank of hot oil, and/or interior of part flushed with hot oil. Pump, fittings, and ancillary tooling built easily for this purpose. After cleaning, innocuous oil residue washed off part by alkaline aqueous degreasing process. Serves as relatively safe alternative to carcinogenic and environmentally hazardous solvent perchloroethylene.

Small resistance heater makes it easier, faster, and cheaper to remove integrated circuit from hybrid-circuit board, package, or other substrate for rework. Heater, located directly in polymeric bond interface or on substrate under integrated-circuit chip, energized when necessary to remove chip. Heat generated softens adhesive or solder that bonds chip to substrate. Chip then lifted easily from substrate.

A metal-organic aggregate, namely {Zn2Cl2(BBC)}n (BBC = 4,4‧,4‧‧-(benzene-1,3,5-triyl-tris(benzene-4,1-diyl))tribenzoate) was obtained by solvothermal synthesis. Its structure is featured with the Zn2(COO)3 paddle-wheels with two chloride anions on axial positions and hexagonal pores in the layers. The exclusion of water in the precursor and the solvent plays a crucial role in the formation of target compound. This compound can be easily dissolved in alkaline solution and exfoliated into isolated sheets, which shows a novel way for the preparation of 2D materials.

An easily and efficiently parallelizable direct method is given for solving a block linear system Bx = y, where B = D + Q is the sum of a non-singular block diagonal matrix D and a matrix Q with low-rank blocks. This implicitly defines a new preconditioning method with an operation count close to the cost of calculating a matrix-vector product Qw for some w, plus at most twice the cost of calculating Qw for some w. When implemented on a parallel machine the processor utilization can be as good as that of those operations. Order estimates are given for the general case, and an implementation is compared to block SSOR preconditioning.

This manuscript reports the synthesis and characterization of the first organic-inorganic hybrid material exhibiting efficient multimodal spectral converting properties. The nanocomposite, made of Er(3+), Yb(3+) codoped zirconia nanoparticles (NPs) entrapped in a di-ureasil d-U(600) hybrid matrix, is prepared by an easy two-step sol-gel synthesis leading to homogeneous and transparent materials that can be very easily processed as monolith or film. Extensive structural characterization reveals that zirconia nanocrystals of 10-20 nm in size are efficiently dispersed into the hybrid matrix and that the local structure of the di-ureasil is not affected by the presence of the NPs. A significant enhancement in the refractive index of the di-ureasil matrix with the incorporation of the ZrO2 nanocrystals is observed. The optical study demonstrates that luminescent properties of both constituents are perfectly preserved in the final hybrid. Thus, the material displays a white-light photoluminescence from the di-ureasil component upon excitation at UV/visible radiation and also intense green and red emissions from the Er(3+)- and Yb(3+)-doped NPs after NIR excitation. The dynamics of the optical processes were also studied as a function of the lanthanide content and the thickness of the films. Our results indicate that these luminescent hybrids represent a low-cost, environmentally friendly, size-controlled, easily processed and chemically stable alternative material to be used in light harvesting devices such as luminescent solar concentrators, optical fibres and sensors. Furthermore, this synthetic approach can be extended to a wide variety of luminescent NPs entrapped in hybrid matrices, thus leading to multifunctional and versatile materials for efficient tuneable nonlinear optical nanodevices.

This manuscript reports the synthesis and characterization of the first organic-inorganic hybrid material exhibiting efficient multimodal spectral converting properties. The nanocomposite, made of Er3+, Yb3+ codoped zirconia nanoparticles (NPs) entrapped in a di-ureasil d-U(600) hybrid matrix, is prepared by an easy two-step sol-gel synthesis leading to homogeneous and transparent materials that can be very easily processed as monolith or film. Extensive structural characterization reveals that zirconia nanocrystals of 10-20 nm in size are efficiently dispersed into the hybrid matrix and that the local structure of the di-ureasil is not affected by the presence of the NPs. A significant enhancement in the refractive index of the di-ureasil matrix with the incorporation of the ZrO2 nanocrystals is observed. The optical study demonstrates that luminescent properties of both constituents are perfectly preserved in the final hybrid. Thus, the material displays a white-light photoluminescence from the di-ureasil component upon excitation at UV/visible radiation and also intense green and red emissions from the Er3+- and Yb3+-doped NPs after NIR excitation. The dynamics of the optical processes were also studied as a function of the lanthanide content and the thickness of the films. Our results indicate that these luminescent hybrids represent a low-cost, environmentally friendly, size-controlled, easily processed and chemically stable alternative material to be used in light harvesting devices such as luminescent solar concentrators, optical fibres and sensors. Furthermore, this synthetic approach can be extended to a wide variety of luminescent NPs entrapped in hybrid matrices, thus leading to multifunctional and versatile materials for efficient tuneable nonlinear optical nanodevices.

Processing and managing radioactive waste is a great challenge worldwide as it is extremely difficult and costly; the radioactive species, cations or anions, leaked into the environment are a serious threat to the health of present and future generations. We report layered potassium niobate (K4Nb6O17) nanolamina as adsorbent to remove toxic Sr2+, Ba2+ and Cs+ cations from wastewater. The results show that K4Nb6O17 nanolamina can permanently confine the toxic cations within the interlayer spacing via a considerable deformation of the metastable layered structure during the ion exchange process. At the same time, the nanolaminar adsorbent exhibits prompt adsorption kinetics, high adsorption capacity and selectivity, and superior acid resistance. These merits make it be a promising material as ion exchanger for the removal of radioactive cations from wastewater. PMID:25472721

Using selected theoretical methods the affinity of a large range of Lewis bases towards model cations has been quantified. The range of model cations includes the methyl cation as the smallest carbon-centered electrophile, the benzhydryl and trityl cations as models for electrophilic substrates encountered in Lewis base-catalyzed synthetic procedures, and the acetyl cation as a substrate model for acyl-transfer reactions. Affinities towards these cationic electrophiles are complemented by data for Lewis-base addition to Michael acceptors as prototypical neutral electrophiles.

Macroscopic net proton charging curves for powdered rutile and cassiterite specimens with the (110) crystal face predominant, as a function of pH in RbCl and NaCl solutions, trace SrCl(2) in NaCl, and trace ZnCl(2) in NaCl and Na Triflate solutions, are compared to corresponding molecular-level information obtained from static DFT optimizations and classical MD simulations, as well as synchrotron X-ray methods. The similarities and differences in the macroscopic charging behavior of rutile and cassiterite largely reflect the cation binding modes observed at the molecular level. Cation adsorption is primarily inner-sphere on both isostructural (110) surfaces, despite predictions that outer-sphere binding should predominate on low bulk dielectric constant oxides such as cassiterite (ε(bulk) ≈ 11). Inner-sphere adsorption is also significant for Rb(+) and Na(+) on neutral surfaces, whereas Cl(-) binding is predominately outer-sphere. As negative surface charge increases, relatively more Rb(+), Na(+), and especially Sr(2+) are bound in highly desolvated tetradentate fashion on the rutile (110) surface, largely accounting for enhanced negative charge development relative to cassiterite. Charging curves in the presence of Zn(2+) are very steep but similar for both oxides, reflective of Zn(2+) hydrolysis (and accompanying proton release) during the adsorption process, and the similar binding modes for ZnOH(+) on both surfaces. These results suggest that differences in cation adsorption between high and low bulk dielectric constant oxides are more subtly related to the relative degree of cation desolvation accompanying inner-sphere binding (i.e., more tetradentate binding on rutile), rather than distinct inner- and outer-sphere adsorption modes. Cation desolvation may be favored at the rutile (110) surface in part because inner-sphere water molecules are bound further from and less tightly than on the cassiterite (110) surface. Hence, their removal upon inner

A method of making a thermally-removable epoxy by mixing a bis(maleimide) compound to a monomeric furan compound containing an oxirane group to form a di-epoxy mixture and then adding a curing agent at temperatures from approximately room temperature to less than approximately 90.degree. C. to form a thermally-removable epoxy. The thermally-removable epoxy can be easilyremoved within approximately an hour by heating to temperatures greater than approximately 90.degree. C. in a polar solvent. The epoxy material can be used in protecting electronic components that may require subsequent removal of the solid material for component repair, modification or quality control.

Current HENP libraries and frameworks were written before multicore systems became widely deployed and used. From this environment, a ‘single-thread’ processing model naturally emerged but the implicit assumptions it encouraged are greatly impairing our abilities to scale in a multicore/manycore world. Writing scalable code in C++ for multicore architectures, while doable, is no panacea. Sure, C++11 will improve on the current situation (by standardizing on std::thread, introducing lambda functions and defining a memory model) but it will do so at the price of complicating further an already quite sophisticated language. This level of sophistication has probably already strongly motivated analysis groups to migrate to CPython, hoping for its current limitations with respect to multicore scalability to be either lifted (Grand Interpreter Lock removal) or for the advent of a new Python VM better tailored for this kind of environment (PyPy, Jython, …) Could HENP migrate to a language with none of the deficiencies of C++ (build time, deployment, low level tools for concurrency) and with the fast turn-around time, simplicity and ease of coding of Python? This paper will try to make the case for Go - a young open source language with built-in facilities to easily express and expose concurrency - being such a language. We introduce GoCxx, a tool leveraging gcc-xml's output to automatize the tedious work of creating Go wrappers for foreign languages, a critical task for any language wishing to leverage legacy and field-tested code. We will conclude with the first results of applying GoCxx to real C++ code.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for the removal of toxic metals or radionuclides from source materials. Toxic metals may be removed from source materials using a clay, such as attapulgite or highly cationic bentonite, and chitin or chitosan. Toxic metals may also be removed using volcanic ash alone or in combination with chitin or chitosan. Radionuclides may be removed using volcanic ash alone or in combination with chitin or chitosan.

Divalent cations have been reported to develop bridges between anionic polyelectrolytes and negatively-charged colloidal particles, thereby enhancing particle flocculation. However, results from this study of kaolinite suspensions dosed with various anionic polyacrylamides (PAMs) reveal that Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) can lead to colloid stabilization under some conditions. To explain the opposite but coexisting processes of flocculation and stabilization with divalent cations, a conceptual flocculation model with (1) particle-binding divalent cationic bridges between PAM molecules and kaolinite particles and (2) polymer-binding divalent cationic bridges between PAM molecules is proposed. The particle-binding bridges enhanced flocculation and aggregated kaolinite particles in large, easily-settleable flocs whereas the polymer-binding bridges increased steric stabilization by developing polymer layers covering the kaolinite surface. Both the particle-binding and polymer-binding divalent cationic bridges coexist in anionic PAM- and kaolinite-containing suspensions and thus induce the counteracting processes of particle flocculation and stabilization. Therefore, anionic polyelectrolytes in divalent cation-enriched aqueous solutions can sometimes lead to the stabilization of colloidal particles due to the polymer-binding divalent cationic bridges.

Before establishing the utility of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring during pregnancy, we evaluated the accuracy of a small, easily concealed monitor. The 59 normotensive pregnant patients were between 13 and 26 gestational weeks. For each monitor reading, two trained observers independently and simultaneously recorded blood pressures using a mercury manometer connected to the monitor cuff. Seven readings in three positions (sitting upright, semirecumbent, standing) were performed on each patient. Averaged differences between the observers' and monitor readings varied from -2.2 to -0.9 mm Hg (systolic) and from -2.8 to -0.6 (fifth-phase diastolic), indicating slight but clinically unimportant overestimation by the monitor. Correlations between averaged observers' readings and the monitor ranged from 0.79 to 0.92 (systolic) and from 0.85 to 0.92 (fifth-phase diastolic). Overall, the observers agreed with the monitor within 5 mm Hg on 94% of systolic readings and 99% of fifth-phase diastolic readings. There was no statistically significant difference in accuracy with changes in body position. We conclude that this small, quiet, noninvasive device accurately determined blood pressures during pregnancy.

Thermal properties are necessary for the design and control of processes and storage facilities of food materials. This study proposes the measurement of thermal properties using easily constructed probes with specific heat capacity calculated, as opposed to the use of Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) or other. These probes were constructed and used to measure thermal properties of white radish in the temperature range of 80–20°C and moisture content of 91–6.1% wb. Results showed thermal properties were within the range of 0.71–0.111 Wm-1 C-1 for thermal conductivity, 1.869×10−7–0.72×10−8 m2s-1 for thermal diffusivity and 4.316–1.977 kJ kg-1C-1for specific heat capacity. These results agree with reports for similar products studied using DSC and commercially available line heat source probes. Empirical models were developed for each property through linear multiple regressions. The data generated would be useful in modeling and control of its processing and equipment design. PMID:28288175

Silver nanoparticle-decorated magnetic graphene oxide (MGO-Ag) was synthesized by doping silver and Fe3O4 nanoparticles on the surface of GO, which was used as an antibacterial agent. MGO-Ag was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Energy dispersive X-ray (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and magnetic property tests. It can be found that magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles and nano-Ag was well dispersed on graphene oxide; and MGO-Ag exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Several factors were investigated to study the antibacterial effect of MGO-Ag, such as temperature, time, pH and bacterial concentration. We also found that MGO-Ag maintained high inactivation rates after use six times and can be separated easily after antibacterial process. Moreover, the antibacterial mechanism is discussed and the synergistic effect of GO, Fe3O4 nanoparticles and nano-Ag accounted for high inactivation of MGO-Ag.

Biological desert sand crusts are the foundation of desert ecosystems, stabilizing the sands and allowing colonization by higher order organisms. The first colonizers of the desert sands are cyanobacteria. Facing the harsh conditions of the desert, these organisms must withstand frequent desiccation-hydration cycles, combined with high light intensities. Here, we characterize structural and functional modifications to the photosynthetic apparatus that enable a cyanobacterium, Leptolyngbya sp., to thrive under these conditions. Using multiple in vivo spectroscopic and imaging techniques, we identified two complementary mechanisms for dissipating absorbed energy in the desiccated state. The first mechanism involves the reorganization of the phycobilisome antenna system, increasing excitonic coupling between antenna components. This provides better energy dissipation in the antenna rather than directed exciton transfer to the reaction center. The second mechanism is driven by constriction of the thylakoid lumen which limits diffusion of plastocyanin to P700. The accumulation of P700(+) not only prevents light-induced charge separation but also efficiently quenches excitation energy. These protection mechanisms employ existing components of the photosynthetic apparatus, forming two distinct functional modes. Small changes in the structure of the thylakoid membranes are sufficient for quenching of all absorbed energy in the desiccated state, protecting the photosynthetic apparatus from photoinhibitory damage. These changes can be easily reversed upon rehydration, returning the system to its high photosynthetic quantum efficiency.

Identification of pre-transplant factors influencing delayed graft function (DGF) could have an important clinical impact. This could allow clinicians to early identify dialyzed chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients eligible for special transplant programs, preventive therapeutic strategies and specific post-transplant immunosuppressive treatments. To achieve these objectives, we retrospectively analyzed main demographic and clinical features, follow-up events and outcomes registered in a large dedicated dataset including 2,755 patients compiled collaboratively by four Italian renal/transplant units. The years of transplant ranged from 1984 to 2012. Statistical analysis clearly demonstrated that some recipients' characteristics at the time of transplantation (age and body weight) and dialysis-related variables (modality and duration) were significantly associated with DGF development (p ≤ 0.001). The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the final model based on the four identified variables predicting DGF was 0.63 (95 % CI 0.61, 0.65). Additionally, deciles of the score were significantly associated with the incidence of DGF (p value for trend <0.001). Therefore, in conclusion, in our study we identified a pre-operative predictive model for DGF, based on inexpensive and easily available variables, potentially useful in routine clinical practice in most of the Italian and European dialysis units.

Monitoring networks are expensive to establish and to maintain. In this paper, we extend an existing data-worth estimation method from the suite of PEST utilities with a global optimization method for optimal sensor placement (called optimal design) in groundwater monitoring networks. Design optimization can include multiple simultaneous sensor locations and multiple sensor types. Both location and sensor type are treated simultaneously as decision variables. Our method combines linear uncertainty quantification and a modified genetic algorithm for discrete multilocation, multitype search. The efficiency of the global optimization is enhanced by an archive of past samples and parallel computing. We demonstrate our methodology for a groundwater monitoring network at the Steinlach experimental site, south-western Germany, which has been established to monitor river-groundwater exchange processes. The target of optimization is the best possible exploration for minimum variance in predicting the mean travel time of the hyporheic exchange. Our results demonstrate that the information gain of monitoring network designs can be explored efficiently and with easily accessible tools prior to taking new field measurements or installing additional measurement points. The proposed methods proved to be efficient and can be applied for model-based optimal design of any type of monitoring network in approximately linear systems. Our key contributions are (1) the use of easy-to-implement tools for an otherwise complex task and (2) yet to consider data-worth interdependencies in simultaneous optimization of multiple sensor locations and sensor types.

The positron-emitting radionuclide carbon-11 (11C, t1/2 = 20.3 minutes) possesses the unique potential for radiolabeling of any biological, naturally occurring, or synthetic organic molecule for in vivo positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Carbon-11 is most often incorporated into small molecules by methylation of alcohol, thiol, amine or carboxylic acid precursors using [11C]methyl iodide or [11C]methyl triflate (generated from [11C]CO2). Consequently, small molecules that lack an easily substituted 11C-methyl group are often considered to have non-obvious strategies for radiolabeling and require a more customized approach. [11C]Carbon dioxide, [11C]carbon monoxide, [11C]cyanide, and [11C]phosgene represent alternative carbon-11 reactants to enable 11C-carbonylation. Methodologies developed for preparation of 11C-carbonyl groups have had a tremendous impact on the development of novel PET radiopharmaceuticals and provided key tools for clinical research. 11C-Carbonyl radiopharmaceuticals based on labeled carboxylic acids, amides, carbamates, and ureas now account for a substantial number of important imaging agents that have seen translation to higher species and clinical research of previously inaccessible targets, which is a testament to the creativity, utility, and practicality of the underlying radiochemistry. PMID:27276357

In 1949, three American virologists, John F. Enders, Thomas H. Weller and Frederick C. Robbins, from the Harvard Medical Scholl and working at the Children's Medical Centre, Boston, Mass., have provoked a true revolution in Virology. Here, they have succeeded in readily multiplying the three poliomyelitis viruses in vitro, in non-nervous cells cultures. A few years afterwards (1954), they were collectively honoured by the Nobel Prize of Physiology and Medicine. This discovery not only has quickly led to the production of efficient poliomyelitis vaccines (J. E. Salk, 1953; A. B. Sabin, 1955) but also has permitted to easily isolate a number of already known viruses (measles, rubella, mumps, herpes simplex and herpes zoster) or until then totally unknown viruses (adenovirus, echovirus, cytomegalovirus). These progresses have significantly contributed to improve diagnosis, sanitary surveillance and vaccinal prophylaxis of human and animal viral diseases. Moreover, the cells cultures techniques have also benefited to other domains of fundamental Biology, such as cellular biology, genetics, cancerology, biology of the reproduction and regenerative medicine as well.

INTRODUCTION Ectopic spleen is an uncommon clinical entity as splenectomy for treatment of ectopic spleens accounts for less than 0.25% of splenectomies. The most common age of presentation is childhood especially under 1 year of age followed by the third decade of life. PRESENTATION OF CASE The present report refers to a patient with torsion of a pelvic spleen treated with splenectomy. The patient exhibited a period of vague intermittent lower abdominal pain lasted 65 days followed by a period of constant left lower quadrant pain of increasing severity lasted 6 days. On the first 65 days, vague pain was attributed to progressive torsion of the spleen which resulted in venous congestion. On the last 6 days, exacerbation of pain was attributed to irreducible torsion, infraction of the arterial supply, acute ischemia, strangulation and rupture of the gangrenous spleen. Diagnosis was made by CT which revealed absence of the spleen in its normal position, a homogeneous pelvic mass with no contrast enhancement, free blood in the peritoneal cavity, and confirmed by laparotomy. DISCUSSION Clinical manifestations of ectopic spleen vary from asymptomatic to abdominal emergency. Symptoms are most commonly attributed to complications related to torsion. Operative management, including splenopexy or splenectomy, is the treatment of choice in uncomplicated and complicated cases because conservative treatment of an asymptomatic ectopic spleen is associated with a complication rate of 65%. CONCLUSION Although an ectopic spleen can be easily identified on clinical examination, it is commonly misdiagnosed until the manifestation of complications in adulthood. PMID:24973525

“One can't be of an enquiring and experimental nature, and still be very sensible.” - Charles Fort [1] As the costs of personal genetic testing “self-quantification” fall, publicly accessible databases housing people's genotypic and phenotypic information are gradually increasing in number and scope. The latest entrant is openSNP, which allows participants to upload their personal genetic/genomic and self-reported phenotypic data. I believe the emergence of such open repositories of human biological data is a natural reflection of inquisitive and digitally literate people's desires to make genomic and phenotypic information more easily available to a community beyond the research establishment. Such unfettered databases hold the promise of contributing mightily to science, science education and medicine. That said, in an age of increasingly widespread governmental and corporate surveillance, we would do well to be mindful that genomic DNA is uniquely identifying. Participants in open biological databases are engaged in a real-time experiment whose outcome is unknown. PMID:24647311

TRPV6 belongs to the vanilloid family of the transient receptor potential channel (TRP) superfamily. This calcium-selective channel is highly expressed in the duodenum and the placenta, being responsible for calcium absorption in the body and fetus. Previous observations have suggested that TRPV6 is not only permeable to calcium but also to other divalent cations in epithelial tissues. In this study, we tested whether TRPV6 is indeed also permeable to cations such as zinc and cadmium. We found that the basal intracellular calcium concentration was higher in HEK293 cells transfected with hTRPV6 than in non-transfected cells, and that this difference almost disappeared in nominally calcium-free solution. Live cell imaging experiments with Fura-2 and NewPort Green DCF showed that overexpression of human TRPV6 increased the permeability for Ca(2+), Ba(2+), Sr(2+), Mn(2+), Zn(2+), Cd(2+), and interestingly also for La(3+) and Gd(3+). These results were confirmed using the patch clamp technique. (45)Ca uptake experiments showed that cadmium, lanthanum and gadolinium were also highly efficient inhibitors of TRPV6-mediated calcium influx at higher micromolar concentrations. Our results suggest that TRPV6 is not only involved in calcium transport but also in the transport of other divalent cations, including heavy metal ions, which may have toxicological implications.

A new, low cost, locally available biomaterial was tested for its ability to removecationic dyes from aqueous solution. Granules prepared from kohlrabi peel had been utilized as a sorbent for uptake of three cationic dyes, methylene blue (MB), neutral red (NR) and acridine orange (AO). The effects of various experimental parameters (e.g., dye concentration, particle size, initial pH, contact time and other factors) were investigated and optimal experimental conditions were ascertained. Above the value of initial pH 4, three dyes studied could be removed effectively. The isothermal data fitted the Langmuir model in the case of NR sorption and the Freundlich model for all three dyes sorption. The biosorption processes followed the pseudo-first-order rate kinetics. The results in this study indicated that kohlrabi peel was an attractive candidate for removingcationic dyes from the dye wastewater.

Quantum chemistry study has been carried out on the structure and energetics of halogenated silanes, radicals, and cations (SiHxXy0,+1, X = F, Cl, Br; x + y = 1-4). The geometries are optimized at B3LYP/6-31+G(2df,p) level. The adiabatic ionization energiess (IEas), relative energetics of cations, proton affinities (PAs) of silanes, and the enthalpies of formation are predicted using G3(CC) model chemistry. Non-classical ion complex structures are found for hydrogenated cations and transition states connecting classical and non-classical structures are also located. The most stable cations for silylene and silyl radicals have their classical divalent and trivalent structures, and those for silanes have non-classical structures except for SiH3Br+ and SiH2Br2+. The non-classical structures for halosilane cations imply difficulty in experimentally measurement of the adiabatic ionization energies using photoionization or photoelectron studies. For SiH3X, SiH2X2, and SiHX3, the G3(CC) adiabatic IEas to classical ionic structures closest to their neutrals agree better with the photoelectron spectroscopic measurements. The transition states between classical and non-classical structures also hamper the photoionization determination of the appearance energies for silylene cations from silanes. The G3(CC) results for SiHx0,+1 agree excellently with the photoionization mass spectrometric study, and the results for fluorinated and chlorinated species also agree with the previous theoretical predictions at correlation levels from BAC-MP4 to CCSD(T)/CBS. The predicted enthalpy differences between SiH2Cl+, SiHCl2+, and SiCl3+ are also in accordance with previous kinetics study. The G3(CC) results show large discrepancies to the collision-induced charge transfer and/or dissociation reactions involving SiFx+ and SiClx+ ions, for which the G3(CC) enthalpies of formation are also significantly differed from the previous theoretical predictions, especially on SiFx+ (x = 2-4). The G3

Class "F" fly ash (FA), collected from the Central Heat and Power (CHP) Plant Brasov (Romania), with oxides composition SiO2/Al2O3 over 2.4 proved good adsorbent properties, and was further used for obtaining a new substrate with good adsorption capacity for heavy metals from multi-cation wastewater treatment. Firstly, the new adsorbent was characterized by AFM, XRD, DSC, FTIR and the surface energy was evaluated by contact angle measurements. The experimental data suggested that the new type of substrate is predominant crystalline with highly polar surface. The substrate was used for removing the Pb2+, Cd2+ and Zn2+ cations from mixed solutions. The results show high efficiency and selective adsorption the Pb2+ and Zn2+ cations. The optimized adsorption parameters were further used in thermodynamic and kinetic studies of the adsorption processes. The Langmuir and Freundlich models were used to describe the processes. The pseudo-second order kinetics could well model all the processes, indicating a surface concentration of the adsorption sites with the same order of magnitude as the cation concentrations.

A cationic electrodepositable coating composition is disclosed. The present invention in directed to a cationic electrodepositable coating composition comprising a lignin-containing cationic salt resin, that comprises (A) the reaction product of: lignin, an amine, and a carbonyl compound; (B) the reaction product of lignin, epichlorohydrin, and an amine; or (C) combinations thereof.

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... incision. Extracapsular extraction: The doctor uses a small tool to remove the cataract in mostly one piece. This procedure uses a larger incision. Laser surgery: The doctor guides a machine that uses laser energy to make the incisions ...

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Tattoos have been a part of costume, expression, and identification in various cultures for centuries. Although tattoos have become more popular in western culture, many people regret their tattoos in later years. In this situation, it is important to be aware of the mechanisms of tattoo removal methods available, as well as their potential short- and long-term effects. Among the myriad of options available, laser tattoo removal is the current treatment of choice, given its safety and efficacy.

Introduction We aimed to determine the limbal lighting illuminance thresholds (LLITs) required to trigger perception of sclerotic scatter at the opposite non-illuminated limbus (i.e. perception of a light limbal scleral arc) under different levels of ambient lighting illuminance (ALI). Material and Methods Twenty healthy volunteers were enrolled. The iris shade (light or dark) was graded by retrieving the median value of the pixels of a pre-determined zone of a gray-level iris photograph. Mean keratometry and central corneal pachymetry were recorded. Each subject was asked to lie down, and the ALI at eye level was set to mesopic values (10, 20, 40 lux), then photopic values (60, 80, 100, 150, 200 lux). For each ALI level, a light beam of gradually increasing illuminance was applied to the right temporal limbus until the LLIT was reached, i.e. the level required to produce the faint light arc that is characteristic of sclerotic scatter at the nasal limbus. Results After log-log transformation, a linear relationship between the logarithm of ALI and the logarithm of the LLIT was found (p<0.001), a 10% increase in ALI being associated with an average increase in the LLIT of 28.9%. Higher keratometry values were associated with higher LLIT values (p = 0.008) under low ALI levels, but the coefficient of the interaction was very small, representing a very limited effect. Iris shade and central corneal thickness values were not significantly associated with the LLIT. We also developed a censored linear model for ALI values ≤ 40 lux, showing a linear relationship between ALI and the LLIT, in which the LLIT value was 34.4 times greater than the ALI value. Conclusion Sclerotic scatter is more easily elicited under mesopic conditions than under photopic conditions and requires the LLIT value to be much higher than the ALI value, i.e. it requires extreme contrast. PMID:26964096

There is a general need for high-quality, easily accessible, and comprehensive health-care information on epilepsy to better inform the general population about this highly stigmatized neurological disorder. The aim of this study was to evaluate the health literacy level of eight popular English-written websites that provide information on epilepsy in quantitative terms of readability. Educational epilepsy material on these websites, including 41 Wikipedia articles, were analyzed for their overall level of readability and the corresponding academic grade level needed to comprehend the published texts on the first reading. The Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) was used to assess ease of comprehension while the Gunning Fog Index, Coleman-Liau Index, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Automated Readability Index, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook scales estimated the corresponding academic grade level needed for comprehension. The average readability of websites yielded results indicative of a difficult-to-fairly-difficult readability level (FRE results: 44.0±8.2), with text readability corresponding to an 11th academic grade level (11.3±1.9). The average FRE score of the Wikipedia articles was indicative of a difficult readability level (25.6±9.5), with the other readability scales yielding results corresponding to a 14th grade level (14.3±1.7). Popular websites providing information on epilepsy, including Wikipedia, often demonstrate a low level of readability. This can be ameliorated by increasing access to clear and concise online information on epilepsy and health in general. Short "basic" summaries targeted to patients and nonmedical users should be added to articles published in specialist websites and Wikipedia to ease readability.

Textures that resemble typical fern or bracken plant species (dendrite structures) were fabricated for liquid repellency by dipping copper substrates in a single-step process in solutions containing AgNO3 or by a simple spray liquid application. Superhydrophobic surfaces were produced using a solution containing AgNO3 and trimethoxypropylsilane (TMPSi), and superomniphobic surfaces were produced by a two-step procedure, immersing the copper substrate in a AgNO3 solution and, after that, in a solution containing 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane (PFDTES). The simple functionalization processes can also be used when the superomniphobic surfaces were destroyed by mechanical stress. By immersion of the wrecked surfaces in the above solutions or by the spray method and soft heating, the copper substrates could be easily repaired, regenerating the surfaces' superrepellency to liquids. The micro- and nanoroughness structures generated on copper surfaces by the deposition of silver dendrites functionalized with TMPSi presented apparent contact angles greater than 150° with a contact angle hysteresis lower than 10° when water was used as the test liquid. To avoid total wettability with very low surface tension liquids, such as rapeseed oil and hexadecane, a thin perfluorinated coating of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE), produced by physical vapor deposition, was used. A more efficient perfluorinated coating was obtained when PFDTES was used. The superomniphobic surfaces produced apparent contact angles above 150° with all of the tested liquids, including hexadecane, although the contact angle hysteresis with this liquid was above 10°. The coupling of dendritic structures with TMPSi/PTFE or directly by PFDTES coatings was responsible for the superrepellency of the as-prepared surfaces. These simple, fast, and reliable procedures allow the large area, and cost-effective scale fabrication of superrepellent surfaces on copper substrates for various industrial

Over 50,000 new tattoos are placed each year in the United States. Studies estimate that 24% of American college students have tattoos and 10% of male American adults have a tattoo. The rising popularity of tattoos has spurred a corresponding increase in tattoo removal. Not all tattoos are placed intentionally or for aesthetic reasons though. Traumatic tattoos due to unintentional penetration of exogenous pigments can also occur, as well as the placement of medical tattoos to mark treatment boundaries, for example in radiation therapy. Protocols for tattoo removal have evolved over history. The first evidence of tattoo removal attempts was found in Egyptian mummies, dated to have lived 4,000 years BC. Ancient Greek writings describe tattoo removal with salt abrasion or with a paste containing cloves of white garlic mixed with Alexandrian cantharidin. With the advent of Q-switched lasers in the late 1960s, the outcomes of tattoo removal changed radically. In addition to their selective absorption by the pigment, the extremely short pulse duration of Q-switched lasers has made them the gold standard for tattoo removal.

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare inflammatory neutrophilic dermatosis often misdiagnosed. It is uncommon in infants and children accounting for 4% of cases. A one-year-old male in paediatric ICU ventilated for bronchopneumonia was referred with ulcerated areas on his neck and axilla corresponding to sites of recent removal of central and arterial lines. Examination revealed areas of deep ulceration with violaceous undermined borders in keeping with PG. This was supported by a skin biopsy showing a neutrophilic infiltrate in the deeper dermis. Topical clobetasol propionate was commenced and a dramatic improvement within 24 hours noted. Blood results showed a leucocytosis of 29.7; a differential WCC showed toxic granulation in neutrophils with myeloid left shift; immunoglobulins showed elevated IgG 23 and IgA 4.86. The elevated WCC made us consider a leukaemic trigger; however, they settled with treatment of the underlying infection. PG in children is more likely to have an atypical distribution involving the head and neck (26.6%) or buttocks (15%). An interesting feature in this case is the presence of pathergy, a term used to describe the induction or exacerbation of PG at sites of iatrogenic or incidental trauma. It is seen in 31% of patients with PG. PMID:27738542

Novel nanocomposite materials where iron nanoparticles are embedded into the walls of a macroporous polymer were produced and their efficiency for the removal of As(III) from aqueous media was studied. Nanocomposite gels containing α-Fe(2)O(3) and Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles were prepared by cryopolymerisation resulting in a monolithic structure with large interconnected pores up to 100 μm in diameter and possessing a high permeability (ca. 3 × 10(-3) ms(-1)). The nanocomposite devices showed excellent capability for the removal of trace concentrations of As(III) from solution, with a total capacity of up to 3mg As/g of nanoparticles. The leaching of iron was minimal and the device could operate in a pH range 3-9 without diminishing removal efficiency. The effect of competing ions such as SO(4)(2-) and PO(4)(3-) was negligible. The macroporous composites can be easily configured into a variety of shapes and structures and the polymer matrix can be selected from a variety of monomers, offering high potential as flexible metal cation remediation devices.

A method for removing heavy metals from effluent water is described comprising performing sequentially the following steps: (a) adding from 7-333 ppm of an anionic surfactant to the effluent water to provide coagulatable heavy metal ion; (b) adjusting the effluent water pH to within the range of 8 to 10, (c) providing from 10-200 ppm of a cationic coagulant to coagulate the heavy metal ion, (d) providing from 0.3 to 5.0 ppm of a polymeric flocculant whereby a heavy metal containing floc is formed for removal from the effluent water, and, (e) then removing the floc from the effluent water, wherein the anionic surfactant is sodium lauryl ether sulfate. The cationic coagulant is selected from the group consisting of diallyl dimethylammonium chloride polymer, epichlorohydrin dimethylamine polymer, ethylene amine polymer, polyaluminum chloride, and alum; and the flocculant is an acrylamide/sodium acrylate copolymer having an RSV greater than 23.

In this study, the fragmentation reactions of various N-benzylammonium and N-benzyliminium ions were investigated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. In general, the dissociation of N-benzylated cations generates benzyl cationseasily. Formation of ion/neutral complex intermediates consisting of the benzyl cations and the neutral fragments was observed. The intra-complex reactions included electrophilic aromatic substitution, hydride transfer, electron transfer, proton transfer, and nucleophilic aromatic substitution. These five types of reactions almost covered all the potential reactivities of benzyl cations in chemical reactions. Benzyl cations are well-known as Lewis acid and electrophile in reactions, but the present study showed that the gas-phase reactivities of some suitably ring-substituted benzyl cations were far richer. The 4-methylbenzyl cation was found to react as a Brønsted acid, benzyl cations bearing a strong electron-withdrawing group were found to react as electron acceptors, and para-halogen-substituted benzyl cations could react as substrates for nucleophilic attack at the phenyl ring. The reactions of benzyl cations were also related to the neutral counterparts. For example, in electron transfer reaction, the neutral counterpart should have low ionization energy and in nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction, the neutral counterpart should be piperazine or analogues. This study provided a panoramic view of the reactions of benzyl cations with neutral N-containing species in the gas phase.

In this study, the fragmentation reactions of various N-benzylammonium and N-benzyliminium ions were investigated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. In general, the dissociation of N-benzylated cations generates benzyl cationseasily. Formation of ion/neutral complex intermediates consisting of the benzyl cations and the neutral fragments was observed. The intra-complex reactions included electrophilic aromatic substitution, hydride transfer, electron transfer, proton transfer, and nucleophilic aromatic substitution. These five types of reactions almost covered all the potential reactivities of benzyl cations in chemical reactions. Benzyl cations are well-known as Lewis acid and electrophile in reactions, but the present study showed that the gas-phase reactivities of some suitably ring-substituted benzyl cations were far richer. The 4-methylbenzyl cation was found to react as a Brønsted acid, benzyl cations bearing a strong electron-withdrawing group were found to react as electron acceptors, and para-halogen-substituted benzyl cations could react as substrates for nucleophilic attack at the phenyl ring. The reactions of benzyl cations were also related to the neutral counterparts. For example, in electron transfer reaction, the neutral counterpart should have low ionization energy and in nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction, the neutral counterpart should be piperazine or analogues. This study provided a panoramic view of the reactions of benzyl cations with neutral N-containing species in the gas phase.

A process of remediation of cationic heavy metal contamination from soil utilizes gas phase manipulation to inhibit biodegradation of a chelating agent that is used in an electrokinesis process to remove the contamination, and further gas phase manipulation to stimulate biodegradation of the chelating agent after the contamination has been removed. The process ensures that the chelating agent is not attacked by bioorganisms in the soil prior to removal of the contamination, and that the chelating agent does not remain as a new contaminant after the process is completed.

A process of remediation of cationic heavy metal contamination from soil utilizes gas phase manipulation to inhibit biodegradation of a chelating agent that is used in an electrokinesis process to remove the contamination. The process also uses further gas phase manipulation to stimulate biodegradation of the chelating agent after the contamination has been removed. The process ensures that the chelating agent is not attacked by bioorganisms in the soil prior to removal of the contamination, and that the chelating agent does not remain as a new contaminant after the process is completed. 5 figs.

The complexation of (1→4) linked α-L-guluronate (G) and β-D-mannuronate (M) disaccharides with Mg(2+), Ca(2+), Sr(2+), Mn(2+), Co(2+), Cu(2+), and Zn(2+) cations have been studied with quantum chemical density functional theory (DFT)-based method. A large number of possible cation-diuronate complexes, with one and two GG or MM disaccharide units and with or without water molecules in the inner coordination shells have been considered. The computed bond distances, cation interaction energies, and molecular orbital composition analysis revealed that the complexation of the transition metal (TM) ions to the disaccharides occurs via the formation of strong coordination-covalent bonds. On the contrary, the alkaline earth cations form ionic bonds with the uronates. The unidentate binding is found to be the most favored one in the TM hydrated and water-free complexes. By removing water molecules, the bidentate chelating binding also occurs, although it is found to be energetically less favored by 1 to 1.5 eV than the unidentate one. A good correlation is obtained between the alginate affinity trend toward TM cations and the interaction energies of the TM cations in all studied complexes, which suggests that the alginate affinities are strongly related to the chemical interaction strength of TM cations-uronate complexes. The trend of the interaction energies of the alkaline earth cations in the ionic complexes is opposite to the alginate affinity order. The binding strength is thus not a limiting factor in the alginate gelation in the presence of alkaline earth cations at variance with the TM cations.

A method of making a thermally-removable encapsulant by heating a mixture of at least one bis(maleimide) compound and at least one monomeric tris(furan) or tetrakis(furan) compound at temperatures from above room temperature to less than approximately 90.degree. C. to form a gel and cooling the gel to form the thermally-removable encapsulant. The encapsulant can be easilyremoved within approximately an hour by heating to temperatures greater than approximately 90.degree. C., preferably in a polar solvent. The encapsulant can be used in protecting electronic components that may require subsequent removal of the encapsulant for component repair, modification or quality control.

An inherent advantage of Integrated Coal Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) electric power generation is the ability to easilyremove and recover sulfur. During the last several years, a number of new, improved sulfur removal and recovery processes have been commercialized. An assessment is given of alternative sulfur removal processes for IGCC based on the Texaco coal gasifier. The Selexol acid gas removal system, Claus sulfur recovery, and SCOT tail gas treating are currently used in Texaco-based IGCC. Other processes considered are: Purisol, Sulfinol-M, Selefning, 50% MDEA, Sulften, and LO-CAT. 2 tables.

Cation exchange is a powerful tool for the synthesis of nanostructures such as core–shell nanocrystals, however, the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Interactions of cations with ligands and solvent molecules are systematically ignored in simulations. Here, we introduce the concept of pseudoligands to incorporate cation-ligand-solvent interactions in molecular dynamics. This leads to excellent agreement with experimental data on cation exchange of PbS nanocrystals, whereby Pb ions are partially replaced by Cd ions from solution. The temperature and the ligand-type control the exchange rate and equilibrium composition of cations in the nanocrystal. Our simulations reveal that Pb ions are kicked out by exchanged Cd interstitials and migrate through interstitial sites, aided by local relaxations at core–shell interfaces and point defects. We also predict that high-pressure conditions facilitate strongly enhanced cation exchange reactions at elevated temperatures. Our approach is easily extendable to other semiconductor compounds and to other families of nanocrystals. PMID:27160371

Details the construction of a viewing chamber for fruit flies that connects to a dissecting microscope and features a design that enables students to easily move fruit flies in and out of the chamber. (DDR)

Successful paleointensity experiments hinge on the underlying assumption of reciprocity; the remanence acquired over a particular temperature range should be fully removed over the same temperature range, and vice versa. This means that the blocking (TB) and unblocking (TUB) temperature spectra are identical and do not change during the course of the experiment. We will present the results of recent work demonstrating that some natural titanomagnetites undergo cation reordering on laboratory timescales and at temperatures at or below the Curie temperature (TC). The bulk composition of the titanomagnetites (Fe3-xTixO4) varies between approximately 0.2 < x < 0.4, with moderate degrees of Mg and Al substitution. Although there is no attendant structural or chemical alteration, the re-distribution of ferric and ferrous iron cations results in reversible changes in Curie temperature of up to 150°C. This necessarily changes the blocking temperature spectrum as a function of prior thermal history. These changes in TC, TUB and TB clearly pose problems for all paleointensity experiments, but the effects may be most apparent during Thellier-type experiments where the sample is step-wise heated to increasingly higher temperatures. The blocking temperature distribution will be expected to change over the course of the experiment even in the absence of chemical alteration, and one can expect the experiment to fail. We will explore the effects of cation redistribution on paleointensity experiments through numerical models and by comparison with paleointensity data from pumice samples taken from the 1980 pyroclastic flows at Mt. St. Helens (MSH). In the MSH samples, two phases are typically present: a predominantly multi-domain, homogeneous titanomagnetite (associated with the cation reordering) and an oxyexsolved, single-domain to pseudo-single-domain phase with ilmenite lamellae in a magnetite-rich host. Samples that result in technically successful paleointensity experiments

Hair removal with optical devices has become a popular mainstream treatment that today is considered the most efficient method for the reduction of unwanted hair. Photothermal destruction of hair follicles constitutes the fundamental concept of hair removal with red and near-infrared wavelengths suitable for targeting follicular and hair shaft melanin: normal mode ruby laser (694 nm), normal mode alexandrite laser (755 nm), pulsed diode lasers (800, 810 nm), long-pulse Nd:YAG laser (1,064 nm), and intense pulsed light (IPL) sources (590-1,200 nm). The ideal patient has thick dark terminal hair, white skin, and a normal hormonal status. Currently, no method of lifelong permanent hair eradication is available, and it is important that patients have realistic expectations. Substantial evidence has been found for short-term hair removal efficacy of up to 6 months after treatment with the available systems. Evidence has been found for long-term hair removal efficacy beyond 6 months after repetitive treatments with alexandrite, diode, and long-pulse Nd:YAG lasers, whereas the current long-term evidence is sparse for IPL devices. Treatment parameters must be adjusted to patient skin type and chromophore. Longer wavelengths and cooling are safer for patients with darker skin types. Hair removal with lasers and IPL sources are generally safe treatment procedures when performed by properly educated operators. However, safety issues must be addressed since burns and adverse events do occur. New treatment procedures are evolving. Consumer-based treatments with portable home devices are rapidly evolving, and presently include low-level diode lasers and IPL devices.

This study examined the rejection of selected pharmaceutically active (PhAC) and endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) when using nanofiltration as a function of naturally occurring dissolved organic matter (DOM), colloidal particles, cations and their interactions. Lake Ontario water served as a source of natural DOM and colloidal particles. PhAC/EDC rejection experiments were conducted using raw Lake Ontario water and Lake Ontario water that was pre-treated with either ultrafiltration to remove colloidal particles, or fluidized ion exchange resins to remove DOM. Additionally, the concentration of cations (Ca(2+), Mg(2+), and Na(+)) in the raw and pre-treated water matrices was varied. While ionic PhACs and EDCs exhibited high rejections from all the water matrices examined, neutral compounds were most effectively rejected in water containing DOM and no colloids, and least effectively rejected from colloid-containing water with increased cations but no DOM. The presence of DOM significantly improved compound rejection and the increase in cation concentration significantly decreased rejection. The presence of colloids had comparatively little effect except to mitigate the impact of increased cation concentration, apparently providing some cation-buffering capacity. The sequence in which constituents are removed from waters during treatment may significantly impact PhAC and EDC removal, especially of neutral compounds.

The adsorption behavior of natural zeolite was studied in order to determine the adsorption capacity and mass-transfer process of cationic red X-GRL (C(18)H(21)BrN(6)) onto the adsorbent. The adsorption tests to determine both the uptake capacity and the mass-transfer process at equilibrium were performed under batch conditions, which showed rapid uptake in general for the initial 5 min, corresponding to 92% total removal. The equilibrium adsorption capacity value (q(e,cal)) in pseudo-second-order kinetics was 13.51 mg/g at 293 K and the whole adsorption process was governed by physical adsorption with an endothermic, endothermic spontaneous nature. Adsorption tests indicated that the zeolite has great potential as an alternative low-cost material in the treatment of X-GRL drainage. However, the mass-transfer process to determine the rate-controlling steps showed that both film diffusion and pore diffusion were important in controlling the adsorption rate. The adsorption process was governed by film diffusion while pore diffusion was poor because the X-GRL molecules could not penetrate into the zeolite easily. The X-GRL molecules were only adsorbed on the external surface of the zeolite. Hence, to improve the adsorption capacity of natural zeolite further, modification to expand its micropores is necessary.

The chromatographic separation of fission product cations is discussed. By use of this method a mixture of metal cations containing Zr, Cb, Ce, Y, Ba, and Sr may be separated from one another. Mentioned as preferred exchange adsorbents are resins containing free sulfonic acid groups. Various eluants, such as tartaric acid, HCl, and citric acid, used at various acidities, are employed to effect the selective elution and separation of the various fission product cations.

Gas-phase electronic spectra of the coronene ({{{C}}}24{{{{H}}}12}+) and corannulene ({{{C}}}20{{{{H}}}10}+) cations complexed with helium have been recorded in a quadrupole ion trap at 5 K by photodissociation. The electronic spectrum of {{{C}}}20{{{{H}}}10}+ with two helium atoms was also measured to estimate the perturbation. This method is sufficient for an astronomical comparison because the shift due to the weakly bound helium is on the order of 0.2 Å. {{{C}}}24{{{{H}}}12}+{--}{He} has the origin band of the {{{A}}}2{{{E}}}1g≤ftarrow X{}2{{{E}}}2u transition at 9438.3 Å and that to a much higher state {{{D}}}3≤ftarrow X{}2{{{E}}}2u at 4570 Å. The corannulene cation is subject to a Jahn–Teller distortion in the electronic ground state, leading to the {3}2{{A}}\\prime ≤ftarrow {{X}}{}2{{A}}\\prime \\prime and {3}2{{A}}\\prime \\prime ≤ftarrow {{X}}{}2{{A}}\\prime transitions with origin band maxima when complexed with helium at 5996.1 and 5882.6 Å. These absorptions lie in a region where there is a congestion of diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs). However, the recorded features have no match with astronomical observations, removing coronene and corannulene cations and probably other aromatic hydrocarbons of this size as possible carriers of the DIBs.

Cation-coupled HCO3− transport was initially identified in the mid-1970s when pioneering studies showed that acid extrusion from cells is stimulated by CO2/HCO3− and associated with Na+ and Cl− movement. The first Na+-coupled bicarbonate transporter (NCBT) was expression-cloned in the late 1990s. There are currently five mammalian NCBTs in the SLC4-family: the electrogenic Na,HCO3-cotransporters NBCe1 and NBCe2 (SLC4A4 and SLC4A5 gene products); the electroneutral Na,HCO3-cotransporter NBCn1 (SLC4A7 gene product); the Na+-driven Cl,HCO3-exchanger NDCBE (SLC4A8 gene product); and NBCn2/NCBE (SLC4A10 gene product), which has been characterized as an electroneutral Na,HCO3-cotransporter or a Na+-driven Cl,HCO3-exchanger. Despite the similarity in amino acid sequence and predicted structure among the NCBTs of the SLC4-family, they exhibit distinct differences in ion dependency, transport function, pharmacological properties, and interactions with other proteins. In epithelia, NCBTs are involved in transcellular movement of acid-base equivalents and intracellular pH control. In nonepithelial tissues, NCBTs contribute to intracellular pH regulation; and hence, they are crucial for diverse tissue functions including neuronal discharge, sensory neuron development, performance of the heart, and vascular tone regulation. The function and expression levels of the NCBTs are generally sensitive to intracellular and systemic pH. Animal models have revealed pathophysiological roles of the transporters in disease states including metabolic acidosis, hypertension, visual defects, and epileptic seizures. Studies are being conducted to understand the physiological consequences of genetic polymorphisms in the SLC4-members, which are associated with cancer, hypertension, and drug addiction. Here, we describe the current knowledge regarding the function, structure, and regulation of the mammalian cation-coupled HCO3− transporters of the SLC4-family. PMID:25428855

Cation-coupled HCO3(-) transport was initially identified in the mid-1970s when pioneering studies showed that acid extrusion from cells is stimulated by CO2/HCO3(-) and associated with Na(+) and Cl(-) movement. The first Na(+)-coupled bicarbonate transporter (NCBT) was expression-cloned in the late 1990s. There are currently five mammalian NCBTs in the SLC4-family: the electrogenic Na,HCO3-cotransporters NBCe1 and NBCe2 (SLC4A4 and SLC4A5 gene products); the electroneutral Na,HCO3-cotransporter NBCn1 (SLC4A7 gene product); the Na(+)-driven Cl,HCO3-exchanger NDCBE (SLC4A8 gene product); and NBCn2/NCBE (SLC4A10 gene product), which has been characterized as an electroneutral Na,HCO3-cotransporter or a Na(+)-driven Cl,HCO3-exchanger. Despite the similarity in amino acid sequence and predicted structure among the NCBTs of the SLC4-family, they exhibit distinct differences in ion dependency, transport function, pharmacological properties, and interactions with other proteins. In epithelia, NCBTs are involved in transcellular movement of acid-base equivalents and intracellular pH control. In nonepithelial tissues, NCBTs contribute to intracellular pH regulation; and hence, they are crucial for diverse tissue functions including neuronal discharge, sensory neuron development, performance of the heart, and vascular tone regulation. The function and expression levels of the NCBTs are generally sensitive to intracellular and systemic pH. Animal models have revealed pathophysiological roles of the transporters in disease states including metabolic acidosis, hypertension, visual defects, and epileptic seizures. Studies are being conducted to understand the physiological consequences of genetic polymorphisms in the SLC4-members, which are associated with cancer, hypertension, and drug addiction. Here, we describe the current knowledge regarding the function, structure, and regulation of the mammalian cation-coupled HCO3(-) transporters of the SLC4-family.

Sorbents and methods of using them for removing mercury from flue gases over a wide range of temperatures are disclosed. Sorbent materials of this invention comprise oxy- or hydroxyl-halogen (chlorides and bromides) of manganese, copper and calcium as the active phase for Hg.sup.0 oxidation, and are dispersed on a high surface porous supports. In addition to the powder activated carbons (PACs), this support material can be comprised of commercial ceramic supports such as silica (SiO.sub.2), alumina (Al.sub.2O.sub.3), zeolites and clays. The support material may also comprise of oxides of various metals such as iron, manganese, and calcium. The non-carbon sorbents of the invention can be easily injected into the flue gas and recovered in the Particulate Control Device (PCD) along with the fly ash without altering the properties of the by-product fly ash enabling its use as a cement additive. Sorbent materials of this invention effectively remove both elemental and oxidized forms of mercury from flue gases and can be used at elevated temperatures. The sorbent combines an oxidation catalyst and a sorbent in the same particle to both oxidize the mercury and then immobilize it.

A method for encapsulating hazardous cations is provided comprising supplying a pretreated substrate containing the cations; contacting the substrate with an organo-silane compound to form a coating on the substrate; and allowing the coating to cure. A medium for containing hazardous cations is also provided, comprising a substrate having ion-exchange capacity and a silane-containing coating on the substrate.

The effects of H+ and divalent cations on the O2 equilibrium of hexameric hemocyanin from a spiny lobster, Panulirus japonicus, were examined. The hemocyanin showed the normal Bohr effect. When divalent cations were removed by EDTA treatment, the protein showed a fivefold increase in the O2 affinity and a considerable decrease in the cooperativity. Several cooperativity models were tested for the conformity with the observed O2-binding isotherms by the least-square curve fitting. Among the models examined, the three-state concerted model was found to be most consistent with the results. It was postulated that in the absence of divalent cations deoxyhemocyanin is mainly in the intermediate-affinity state. The arthropod hemocyanins were found to be classifiable into two groups according to their functional responses to the divalent cations. It was suggested that the cations act differently on the allosteric transitions of the two groups of hemocyanins.

Similar to a variety of nucleated cells, human erythrocytes activate a non-selective cation channel upon osmotic cell shrinkage. Further stimuli of channel activation include oxidative stress, energy depletion and extracellular removal of Cl-. The channel is permeable to Ca2+ and opening of the channel increases cytosolic [Ca2+]. Intriguing evidence points to a role of this channel in the elimination of erythrocytes by apoptosis. Ca2+ entering through the cation channel stimulates a scramblase, leading to breakdown of cell membrane phosphatidylserine asymmetry, and stimulates Ca(2+)-sensitive K+ channels, thus leading to KCl loss and (further) cell shrinkage. The breakdown of phosphatidylserine asymmetry is evidenced by annexin binding, a typical feature of apoptotic cells. The effects of osmotic shock, oxidative stress and energy depletion on annexin binding are mimicked by the Ca2+ ionophore ionomycin (1 microM) and blunted in the nominal absence of extracellular Ca2+. Nevertheless, the residual annexin binding points to additional mechanisms involved in the triggering of the scramblase. The exposure of phosphatidylserine at the extracellular face of the cell membrane stimulates phagocytes to engulf the apoptotic erythrocytes. Thus, sustained activation of the cation channels eventually leads to clearance of affected erythrocytes from peripheral blood. Susceptibility to annexin binding is enhanced in several genetic disorders affecting erythrocyte function, such as thalassaemia, sickle-cell disease and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. The enhanced vulnerability presumably contributes to the shortened life span of the affected erythrocytes. Beyond their role in the limitation of erythrocyte survival, cation channels may contribute to the triggering of apoptosis in nucleated cells exposed to osmotic shock and/or oxidative stress.

A method of removing heavy metals from aqueous solution, a composition of matter used in effecting said removal, and apparatus used in effecting said removal. One or more of the polypeptides, poly (.gamma.-glutamylcysteinyl)glycines, is immobilized on an inert material in particulate form. Upon contact with an aqueous solution containing heavy metals, the polypeptides sequester the metals, removing them from the solution. There is selectivity of poly (.gamma.-glutamylcysteinyl)glycines having a particular number of monomer repeat unit for particular metals. The polypeptides are easily regenerated by contact with a small amount of an organic acid, so that they can be used again to remove heayv metals from solution. This also results in the removal of the metals from the column in a concentrated form.

A method of removing heavy metals from aqueous solution, a composition of matter used in effecting said removal, and apparatus used in effecting said removal. One or more of the polypeptides, poly (.gamma.-glutamylcysteinyl)glycines, is immobilized on an inert material in particulate form. Upon contact with an aqueous solution containing heavy metals, the polypeptides sequester the metals, removing them from the solution. There is selectivity of poly (.gamma.-glutamylcysteinyl)glycines having a particular number of monomer repeat units for particular metals. The polypeptides are easily regenerated by contact with a small amount of an organic acid, so that they can be used again to remove heavy metals from solution. This also results in the removal of the metals from the column in a concentrated form.

MTBE has impacted public drinking water wells from releases of gasoline making the water non-potable. MTBE is highly soluble in water, has a low volatility, does not adsorb strongly to soil, and is not thought to be easily biodegradable. Traditional methods of removing organics ...

Anion-exchange membrane fuel cells (AME-FCs) are of increasingly popular interest as they enable the use of non-Pt fuel cell catalysts, the primary cost limitation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Benzyltrimethyl ammonium (BTMA) is the standard cation that has historically been utilized as the hydroxide conductor in AEMs. Herein we approach AEMs from two directions. First and foremost we study the stability of several different cations in a hydroxide solution at elevated temperatures. We specifically targeted BTMA and methoxy and nitro substituted BTMA. We've also studied the effects of adding an akyl spacer units between the ammonium cation and the phenyl group. In the second approach we use computational studies to predict stable ammonium cations, which are then synthesized and tested for stability. Our unique method to study cation stability in caustic conditions at elevated temperatures utilizes Teflon Parr reactors suitable for use under various temperatures and cation concentrations. NMR analysis was used to determine remaining cation concentrations at specific time points with GCMS analysis verifying product distribution. We then compare the experimental results with calculated modeling stabilities. Our studies show that the electron donating methoxy groups slightly increase stability (compared to that of BTMA), while the electron withdrawing nitro groups greatly decrease stability in base. These results give insight into possible linking strategies to be employed when tethering a BTMA like ammonium cation to a polymeric backbone; thus synthesizing an anion exchange membrane.

Cation exchange capacity (CEC) is an important soil and substrate chemical property. It describes a substrate's ability to retain cation nutrients. Higher CEC values for a substrate generally result in greater amounts of nutrients retained in the substrate and available for plant uptake, and great...

This review discusses different types of artificial tripodal receptors for the selective recognition and sensing of cations and anions. Examples on the relationship between structure and selectivity towards cations and anions are described. Furthermore, their applications as potentiometric ion sensing are emphasised, along with their potential applications in optical sensors or optodes.

Cation-π interactions of aromatic rings and positively charged groups are among the most important interactions in structural biology. The role and energetic characteristics of these interactions are well established. However, the occurrence of cation-π-cation interactions is an unexpected motif, which raises intriguing questions about its functional role in proteins. We present a statistical analysis of the occurrence, composition and geometrical preferences of cation-π-cation interactions identified in a set of non-redundant protein structures taken from the Protein Data Bank. Our results demonstrate that this structural motif is observed at a small, albeit non-negligible frequency in proteins, and suggest a preference to establish cation-π-cation motifs with Trp, followed by Tyr and Phe. Furthermore, we have found that cation-π-cation interactions tend to be highly conserved, which supports their structural or functional role. Finally, we have performed an energetic analysis of a representative subset of cation-π-cation complexes combining quantum-chemical and continuum solvation calculations. Our results point out that the protein environment can strongly screen the cation-cation repulsion, leading to an attractive interaction in 64% of the complexes analyzed. Together with the high degree of conservation observed, these results suggest a potential stabilizing role in the protein fold, as demonstrated recently for a miniature protein (Craven et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 1543). From a computational point of view, the significant contribution of non-additive three-body terms challenges the suitability of standard additive force fields for describing cation-π-cation motifs in molecular simulations.

A series of amphiphilic N-(2-hydroxy)propyl-3-trimethylammonium-chitosan-cholic acid (HPTA-CHI-CA) polymers were synthesized by grafting cholic acid (CA) and glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride onto chitosan. The self-assembly behavior of HPTA-CHI-CA was studied by fluorescence technique. The polymers were able to self-assemble into NPs in phosphate buffered saline with a critical aggregation concentration (CAC) in the range of 66-26 mg/L and the CAC decreased with the increasing of the degree of substitution (DS) of CA. The size of cationic HPTA-CHI-CA NPs ranges from 170 to 220 nm (PDI < 0.2). It was found that doxorubicin (DOX) could be encapsulated into HPTA-CHI-CA NPs based on self-assembly. The drug loading content and efficiency varies depending on the DS of CA and feeding ratio of DOX to polymer. In vitro release studies suggested that DOX released slowly from HPTA-CHI-CA NPs without any burst initial release. Besides, the confocal microscopic measurements indicated that DOX-HPTA-CHI-CA NPs could easily be uptaken by breast cancer (MCF-7) cells and release DOX in cytoplasm. Anti-tumor efficacy results showed that DOX-HPTA-CHI-CA NPs have a significant activity of inhibition MCF-7 cells growth. These results suggest cationic HPTA-CHI-CA may have great potential for anticancer drug delivery.

A novel cation-exchange resin, Eshmuno™ S, was compared to Fractogel® SO3− (M) and Toyopearl GigaCap S-650M. The stationary phases have different base matrices and carry specific types of polymeric surface modifications. Three monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were used as model proteins to characterize these chromatographic resins. Results from gradient elutions, stirred batch adsorptions and confocal laser scanning microscopic investigations were used to elucidate binding behavior of mAbs onto Eshmuno™ S and Fractogel® SO3− and the corresponding transport mechanisms on these two resins. The number of charges involved in mAb binding for Eshmuno™ S is lower than for Fractogel® SO3−, indicating a slightly weaker electrostatic interaction. Kinetics from batch uptake experiments are compared to kinetic data obtained from confocal laser scanning microscopy images. Both experimental approaches show an accelerated protein adsorption for the novel stationary phase. The influence of pH, salt concentrations and residence times on dynamic binding capacities was determined. A higher dynamic binding capacity for Eshmuno™ S over a wider range of pH values and residence times was found compared to Fractogel® SO3− and Toyopearl GigaCap S-650M. The capture of antibodies from cell culture supernatant, as well as post-protein A eluates, were analyzed with respect to their host cell protein (hcp) removal capabilities. Comparable or even better hcp clearance was observed at much higher protein loading for Eshmuno™ S than Fractogel® SO3− or Toyopearl GigaCap S-650M. PMID:20559022

Simultaneous removal of dissolved and colloidal substances has been a challenging task. The cationic-modified beta-cyclodextrin nanospheres synthesized in this work, in conjunction with a water-soluble polyacrylamide-based anionic polymer, potentially provide a novel approach to address the problem. The cyclodextrin was rendered cationic using (2,3-epoxypropyl)trimethylammonium chloride as a reagent. The cationicity of the modified cyclodextrin and the reaction between cyclodextrin and the reagent were characterized by electrophoresis measurement, polyelectrolyte titration, and NMR. As a dual-component flocculation system, the cationic cyclodextrin/anionic polymer significantly induced clay flocculation, lowering the relative turbidity of the clay suspension over a wide pH range. Meanwhile, as a nanospherical absorbent, the modified cyclodextrins exhibited strong affinity toward aromatic compounds via inclusion complex formation in the hydrophobic cavities, which was monitored by UV spectroscopy. These systems facilitated the simultaneous removal of dissolved and colloidal substances, which was unachievable previously. In addition, the interaction between anionic polymers and the clay particles pretreated with cationic cyclodextrin was investigated in order to reveal the flocculation mechanism.

Multiconductor instrumentation cable in which the conducting wires are routed through two concentric copper tube sheaths, employing a compressed insulator between the conductors and between the inner and outer sheaths, is durable and easily installed in high thermal or nuclear radiation area. The double sheath is a barrier against moisture, abrasion, and vibration.

Use of membrane films affords convenient and economical alternative for removing and recovering metal cations present in low concentrations from large quantities of liquid solutions. Possible applications of membrane films include use in analytical chemistry for determination of small amounts of toxic metallic impurities in lakes, streams, and municipal effluents. Also suitable for use as absorber of certain pollutant gases and odors present in confined areas.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed new and revised regulations on radionuclide contaminants in drinking water in June 1991. During the 1980's, the Drinking Water Research Division, USEPA conducted a research program to evaluate various technologies to remove radium, uranium and radon from drinking water. The research consisted of laboratory and field studies conducted by USEPA, universities and consultants. The paper summarizes the results of the most significant projects completed. General information is also presented on the general chemistry of the three radionuclides. The information presented indicates that the most practical treatment methods for radium are ion exchange and lime-soda softening and reverse osmosis. The methods tested for radon are aeration and granular activated carbon and the methods for uranium are anion exchange and reverse osmosis.

Study of concepts for large space structures will interest those designing scaffolding, radio towers, rescue equipment, and prefabricated shelters. Double-fold, double-cell module was selected for further design and for zero gravity testing. Concept is viable for deployment by humans outside space vehicle as well as by remotely operated manipulator.

For localization of pyroantimonate-precipitable cations, rat kidney was fixed by perfusion with a saturated aqueous solution of potassium pyroantimonate (pH about 9.2, without addition of any conventional fixative). A remarkably good preservation of the tissue and cell morphology was obtained as well as a consistent and reproducible localization of the insoluble antimonate salts of magnesium, calcium, and sodium. All proximal and distal tubules and glomeruli were delimited by massive electron-opaque precipitates localized in the basement membrane and, to a lesser extent, in adjacent connective tissue. In the intraglomerular capillaries the antimonate precipitate was encountered in the basement membranes and also between the foot processes. In addition to a more or less uniform distribution in the cytoplasm and between the microvilli of the brush border, antimonate precipitates were found in all cell nuclei, mainly between the masses of condensed chromatin. The mitochondria usually contained a few large antimonate deposits which probably correspond to the so-called "dense granules" observed after conventional fixations. PMID:4106544

Advances in medical research have shed light on the genetic cause of many human diseases. Gene therapy is a promising approach which can be used to deliver therapeutic genes to treat genetic diseases at its most fundamental level. In general, nonviral vectors are preferred due to reduced risk of immune response, but they are also commonly associated with low transfection efficiency and high cytotoxicity. In contrast to viral vectors, nonviral vectors do not have a natural mechanism to overcome extra- and intracellular barriers when delivering the therapeutic gene into cell. Hence, its design has been increasingly complex to meet challenges faced in targeting of, penetration of and expression in a specific host cell in achieving more satisfactory transfection efficiency. Flexibility in design of the vector is desirable, to enable a careful and controlled manipulation of its properties and functions. This can be met by the use of bolaamphiphile, a special class of lipid. Unlike conventional lipids, bolaamphiphiles can form asymmetric complexes with the therapeutic gene. The advantage of having an asymmetric complex lies in the different purposes served by the interior and exterior of the complex. More effective gene encapsulation within the interior of the complex can be achieved without triggering greater aggregation of serum proteins with the exterior, potentially overcoming one of the great hurdles faced by conventional single-head cationic lipids. In this review, we will look into the physiochemical considerations as well as the biological aspects of a bolaamphiphile-based gene delivery system.

This paper reports a novel configuration of stacked microbial fuel cells (MFCs) bridged internally through an extra cation exchange membrane (CEM). The MFC stack (MFC(stack)), assembled from two single MFCs (MFC(single)), resulted in double voltage output and half optimal external resistance. COD removal rate was increased from 32.4% to 54.5%. The performance improvement could be attributed to the smaller internal resistance and enhanced cations transfer. A result from a half cell study further confirmed the important role of the extra CEM. This study also demonstrated MFCs where the anode and cathode were sandwiched between two CEMs possessed significantly high power outputs.

In this study, the adsorption capability of cationic dyes, which were methylene blue and crystal violet, by poly-γ-glutamic acid (PGA) in a single or binary solution system was investigated. The effect of the molecular weight of PGA, initial dye concentration, solution pH, and temperature on the adsorption of dyes was evaluated. The adsorption mechanism of dyes onto PGA was the interaction between -COOH group on the PGA surface and the polarity groups of dyes. These results indicated that PGA is useful for removal of dyes and cationic organic compounds from a single or binary solution system.

Conditions of precipitation of nucleosome core particles (NCP) by divalent cations (Ca(2+) and Mg(2+)) have been explored over a large range of nucleosome and cation concentrations. Precipitation of NCP occurs for a threshold of divalent cation concentration, and redissolution is observed for further addition of salt. The phase diagram looks similar to those obtained with DNA and synthetic polyelectrolytes in the presence of multivalent cations, which supports the idea that NCP/NCP interactions are driven by cation condensation. In the phase separation domain the effective charge of the aggregates was determined by measurements of their electrophoretic mobility. Aggregates formed in the presence of divalent cations (Mg(2+)) remain negatively charged over the whole concentration range. They turn positively charged when aggregation is induced by trivalent (spermidine) or tetravalent (spermine) cations. The higher the valency of the counterions, the more significant is the reversal of the effective charge of the aggregates. The sign of the effective charge has no influence on the aspect of the phase diagram. We discuss the possible reasons for this charge reversal in the light of actual theoretical approaches. PMID:11463653

[reaction: see text] The selective removal from carbohydrate substrates of methoxy protecting groups next to hydroxy groups is reported. On treatment with PhI(OAc)(2)-I(2), the methoxy group is transformed into an easilyremovable acetal. The mild conditions of this methodology are compatible with many functional groups, and good to excellent yields are usually achieved.

The cation distributions in two rapidly solidified cobalt ferrites have been determined using Moessbauer spectroscopy at 4.2 K in an 8-T magnetic field. The samples were obtained by gas atomization of a Co0-Fe2O3-P2O5 melt. The degree of cation disorder in both cases was greater than is obtainable by cooling unmelted cobalt ferrite. The more rapidly cooled sample exhibited a smaller departure from the equilibrium cation distribution than did the more slowly cooled sample. This result is explained on the basis of two competing effects of rapid solidification: high cooling rate of the solid, and large undercooling.

Among various candidate materials, Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) is a promising earth-abundant semiconductor for low-cost thin film solar cells. We report a facile, less toxic, highly concentrated synthetic method utilizing the heretofore unrecognized, easily decomposable capping ligand of triphenylphosphate, where phase-pure, single-crystalline, and well-dispersed colloidal CZTS nanocrystals were obtained. The favorable influence of the easily decomposable capping ligand on the microstructural evolution of device-quality CZTS absorber layers was clarified based on a comparative study with commonly used oleylamine-capped CZTS nanoparticles. The resulting CZTS nanoparticles enabled us to produce a dense and crack-free absorbing layer through annealing under a N2 + H2S (4%) atmosphere, demonstrating a solar cell with an efficiency of 3.6% under AM 1.5 illumination.

Traditional nanosized photocatalysts usually have high photocatalytic activity but can not be efficiently recycled. Film-shaped photocatalysts on the substrates can be easily recycled, but they have low surface area and/or high production cost. To solve these problems, we report on the design and preparation of efficient and easily recyclable macroscale photocatalysts with nanostructure by using Ta3N5 as a model semiconductor. Ta3N5-Pt nonwoven cloth has been prepared by an electrospinning-calcination-nitridation-wet impregnation method, and it is composed of Ta3N5 fibers with diameter of 150–200 nm and hierarchical pores. Furthermore, these fibers are constructed from Ta3N5 nanoparticles with diameter of ~25 nm which are decorated with Pt nanoparticles with diameter of ~2.5 nm. Importantly, Ta3N5-Pt cloth can be used as an efficient and easily recyclable macroscale photocatalyst with wide visible-light response, for the degradation of methylene blue and parachlorophenol, probably resulting in a very promising application as “photocatalyst dam” for the polluted river. PMID:24496147

Traditional nanosized photocatalysts usually have high photocatalytic activity but can not be efficiently recycled. Film-shaped photocatalysts on the substrates can be easily recycled, but they have low surface area and/or high production cost. To solve these problems, we report on the design and preparation of efficient and easily recyclable macroscale photocatalysts with nanostructure by using Ta3N5 as a model semiconductor. Ta3N5-Pt nonwoven cloth has been prepared by an electrospinning-calcination-nitridation-wet impregnation method, and it is composed of Ta3N5 fibers with diameter of 150-200 nm and hierarchical pores. Furthermore, these fibers are constructed from Ta3N5 nanoparticles with diameter of ~25 nm which are decorated with Pt nanoparticles with diameter of ~2.5 nm. Importantly, Ta3N5-Pt cloth can be used as an efficient and easily recyclable macroscale photocatalyst with wide visible-light response, for the degradation of methylene blue and parachlorophenol, probably resulting in a very promising application as ``photocatalyst dam'' for the polluted river.

Traditional nanosized photocatalysts usually have high photocatalytic activity but can not be efficiently recycled. Film-shaped photocatalysts on the substrates can be easily recycled, but they have low surface area and/or high production cost. To solve these problems, we report on the design and preparation of efficient and easily recyclable macroscale photocatalysts with nanostructure by using Ta3N5 as a model semiconductor. Ta3N5-Pt nonwoven cloth has been prepared by an electrospinning-calcination-nitridation-wet impregnation method, and it is composed of Ta3N5 fibers with diameter of 150-200 nm and hierarchical pores. Furthermore, these fibers are constructed from Ta3N5 nanoparticles with diameter of ~25 nm which are decorated with Pt nanoparticles with diameter of ~2.5 nm. Importantly, Ta3N5-Pt cloth can be used as an efficient and easily recyclable macroscale photocatalyst with wide visible-light response, for the degradation of methylene blue and parachlorophenol, probably resulting in a very promising application as "photocatalyst dam" for the polluted river.

The focus of this dissertation is the extra-framework cation sites in a particular structural family of zeolites, chabazite. Cation sites play a particularly important role in the application of these sieves for ion exchange, gas separation, catalysis, and, when the cation is a proton, acid catalysis. Structural characterization is commonly performed through the use of powder diffraction and Rietveld analysis of powder diffraction data. Use of high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance, in the study of the local order of the various constituent nuclei of zeolites, complements well the long-range order information produced by diffraction. Recent developments in solid state NMR techniques allow for increased study of disorder in zeolites particularly when such phenomena test the detection limits of diffraction. These two powerful characterization techniques, powder diffraction and NMR, offer many insights into the complex interaction of cations with the zeolite framework. The acids site locations in SSZ-13, a high silica chabazite, and SAPO-34, a silicoaluminophosphate with the chabazite structure, were determined. The structure of SAPO-34 upon selective hydration was also determined. The insensitivity of X-rays to hydrogen was avoided through deuteration of the acid zeolites and neutron powder diffraction methods. Protons at inequivalent positions were found to have different acid strengths in both SSZ-13 and SAPO-34. Other light elements are incorporated into zeolites in the form of extra-framework cations, among these are lithium, sodium, and calcium. Not amenable by X-ray powder diffraction methods, the positions of such light cations in fully ion-exchanged versions of synthetic chabazite were determined through neutron powder diffraction methods. The study of more complex binary cation systems were conducted. Powder diffraction and solid state NMR methods (MAS, MQMAS) were used to examine cation site preferences and dislocations in these mixed-akali chabazites

Direct spectroscopic evidence for H-bonding between like-charged ions is reported for the ionic liquid, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate. New infrared bands in the OH frequency range appear at low temperatures indicating the formation of H-bonded cation-cation clusters similar to those known for water and alcohols. Supported by DFT calculations, these vibrational bands can be assigned to attractive interaction between the hydroxyl groups of the cations. The repulsive Coulomb interaction is overcome by cooperative hydrogen bonding between ions of like charge. The transition energy from purely cation-anion interacting configurations to those including cation-cation H-bonds is determined to be 3-4 kJmol(-1). The experimental findings and DFT calculations strongly support the concept of anti-electrostatic hydrogen bonds (AEHBs) as recently suggested by Weinhold and Klein. The like-charge configurations are kinetically stabilized with decreasing temperatures.

The purpose of this test plan is to demonstrate the synthesis of inorganic antimonate ion exchangers and compare their performance against the standard organic cation exchangers. Of particular interest is the degradation rate of both inorganic and organic cation exchangers. This degradation rate will be tracked by determining the ion exchange capacity and thermal stability as a function of time, radiation dose, and chemical reaction.

A method for encapsulating hazardous cations is provided comprising supplying a pretreated substrate containing the cations; contacting the substrate with an organo-silane compound to form a coating on the substrate; and allowing the coating to cure. A medium for containing hazardous cations is also provided, comprising a substrate having ion-exchange capacity and a silane-containing coating on the substrate. 3 figs.

We investigate the fragmentation chemistry of cationized carbohydrates using a combination of tandem mass spectrometry, regioselective labeling, and computational methods. Our model system is D-lactose. Barriers to the fundamental glyosidic bond cleavage reactions, neutral loss pathways, and structurally informative cross-ring cleavages are investigated. The most energetically favorable conformations of cationized D-lactose were found to be similar. In agreement with the literature, larger group I cations result in structures with increased cation coordination number which require greater collision energy to dissociate. In contrast with earlier proposals, the B n -Y m fragmentation pathways of both protonated and sodium-cationized analytes proceed via protonation of the glycosidic oxygen with concerted glycosidic bond cleavage. Additionally, for the sodiated congeners our calculations support sodiated 1,6-anhydrogalactose B n ion structures, unlike the preceding literature. This affects the subsequent propensity of formation and prediction of B n /Y m branching ratio. The nature of the anomeric center (α/β) affects the relative energies of these processes, but not the overall ranking. Low-energy cross-ring cleavages are observed for the metal-cationized analytes with a retro-aldol mechanism producing the (0,2) A 2 ion from the sodiated forms. Theory and experiment support the importance of consecutive fragmentation processes, particularly for the protonated congeners at higher collision energies. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Subtilisin BPN' contains two cation binding sites. One specifically binds calcium (site A), and the other can bind both divalent and monovalvent metals (site B). By binding at specific sites in the tertiary structure of subtilisin, cations contribute their binding energy to the stability of the native state and increase the activation energy of unfolding. Deconvoluting the influence of binding sites A and B on the inactivation rate of subtilisin is complicated, however. This paper examines the stabilizing effects of cation binding at site B by using a mutant of subtilisin BPN' which lacks calcium site A. Using this mutant, we show that calcium binding at site B has relatively little effect on stability in the presence of moderate concentrations of monovalent cations. At [NaCl] =100 mM, site B is >or=98% occupied with sodium, and therefore its net occupancy with a cation varies little as subtilisin is titrated with calcium. Exchanging sodium for calcium results in a 5-fold decrease in the rate of inactivation. In contrast, because of the high selectivity of site A for calcium, its occupancy changes dramatically as calcium concentration is varied, and consequently the inactivation rate of subtilisin decreases approximately 200-fold as site A becomes saturated with calcium, irrespective of the concentration of monovalent cations.

We investigate the fragmentation chemistry of cationized carbohydrates using a combination of tandem mass spectrometry, regioselective labeling, and computational methods. Our model system is D-lactose. Barriers to the fundamental glyosidic bond cleavage reactions, neutral loss pathways, and structurally informative cross-ring cleavages are investigated. The most energetically favorable conformations of cationized D-lactose were found to be similar. In agreement with the literature, larger group I cations result in structures with increased cation coordination number which require greater collision energy to dissociate. In contrast with earlier proposals, the B n -Y m fragmentation pathways of both protonated and sodium-cationized analytes proceed via protonation of the glycosidic oxygen with concerted glycosidic bond cleavage. Additionally, for the sodiated congeners our calculations support sodiated 1,6-anhydrogalactose B n ion structures, unlike the preceding literature. This affects the subsequent propensity of formation and prediction of B n /Y m branching ratio. The nature of the anomeric center (α/β) affects the relative energies of these processes, but not the overall ranking. Low-energy cross-ring cleavages are observed for the metal-cationized analytes with a retro-aldol mechanism producing the 0,2 A 2 ion from the sodiated forms. Theory and experiment support the importance of consecutive fragmentation processes, particularly for the protonated congeners at higher collision energies.

A method for the separation and determination of five major elements in chromite ore (and chrome-bearing refractories), based on complexation of the metals with EDTA is described. After removal of silica, the cations are separated into two groups by passing the solution through a cation-exchange resin (Dowex 50W-X8, in Na-form) in the presence of an excess of the complexing agent. The optimum conditions for the separation are discussed on the basis of exchange constants that were either known or determined. The first group contains Cr and Fe, which emerge in the filtrate at pH between 1.5 and 2.1, whereas A1, Mg and Ca, which are adsorbed on the resin, form another group. Complexometric titrations are used for the subsequent determination of the cations in each group. The method is simpler and more rapid and accurate for routine analysis than the current methods.

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is a chelating agent commonly used in protein purification, both to eliminate contaminating divalent cations and to inhibit protease activity. For a number of subsequent applications EDTA needs to be exhaustively removed. Most purification methods rely in extensive dialysis and/or gel filtration in order to exchange or remove protein buffer components, including metal chelators. We report here that dialysis protocols, even as extensive as those typically employed for protein refolding, may not effectively remove EDTA, which is reduced only by approximately two-fold and it also persists after spin-column gel filtration, as determined by NMR and by colorimetric methods. Remarkably, the most efficient removal was achieved by ultrafiltration, after which EDTA became virtually undetectable. These results highlight a potentially widespread source of experimental variability affecting free divalent cation concentrations in protein applications. PMID:28099451

Our observation reveals the effects of divalent and trivalent cations on the higher-order structure of giant DNA (T4 DNA 166 kbp) by fluorescence microscopy. It was found that divalent cations, Mg(2+) and Ca(2+), inhibit DNA compaction induced by a trivalent cation, spermidine (SPD(3+)). On the other hand, in the absence of SPD(3+), divalent cations cause the shrinkage of DNA. As the control experiment, we have confirmed the minimum effect of monovalent cation, Na(+) on the DNA higher-order structure. We interpret the competition between 2+ and 3+ cations in terms of the change in the translational entropy of the counterions. For the compaction with SPD(3+), we consider the increase in translational entropy due to the ion-exchange of the intrinsic monovalent cations condensing on a highly charged polyelectrolyte, double-stranded DNA, by the 3+ cations. In contrast, the presence of 2+ cation decreases the gain of entropy contribution by the ion-exchange between monovalent and 3+ ions.

Based on the contributions of the chromatic sextupole families to the half-integer resonance driving terms, we discuss how to sort the chromatic sextupoles in the arcs of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) to easily and effectively correct the second order chromaticities. We propose a method with 4 knobs corresponding to 4 pairs of chromatic sextupole families to online correct the second order chromaticities. Numerical simulation justifies this method, showing that this method reduces the unbalance in the correction strengths of sextupole families and avoids the reversal of sextupole polarities. Therefore, this method yields larger dynamic apertures for the proposed RHIC 2009 100GeV polarized proton run lattices.

Zeolites are well known for their ion exchange and adsorption properties. So far the cation exchanger properties of zeolites have been extensively studied and utilized. The anion exchanger properties of zeolites are less studied. Zeolite Faujasite Y has been used to remove arseni...

This article, the second in a series, focuses on the results of bench- and pilot-scale studies of ion exchange processes for radium removal from groundwater in Lemont, Ill. Batch and column studies indicated a very high resin selectivity for radium compared with common cations. E...

ABS>A process is given for selectively removing cesium from acid aqueous solutions containing cesium in microquantities and other cations in macroquantities by absorption on clinoptilolite. The cesium can be eluted from the clinoptilolite with a solution of ammonia, potassium hydroxide, or rubidium hydroxide. (AEC)

Water is thought to play a dominant role in protein folding, yet gaseous multiply protonated proteins from which the water has been completely removed show hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange behavior similar to that used to identify conformations in solution. Indicative of the gas-phase accessibility to D2O, multiply-charged (6+ to 17+) cytochrome c cations exchange at six (or more) distinct levels of 64 to 173 out of 198 exchangeable H atoms, with the 132 H level found at charge values 8+ to 17+. Infrared laser heating and fast collisions can apparently induce ions to unfold to exchange at a higher distinct level, while charge-stripping ions to lower charge values yields apparent folding as well as unfolding. PMID:7708663

Experimental and theoretical studies have been carried out to understand pro-oxidant behaviour of chlorpromazine radical cation (CPZ rad + ). Pulse radiolysis studies have shown that CPZ rad + oxidizes physiological antioxidants (uric acid and bilirubin), and biomolecules like, tyrosine and proteins (bovine serum albumin and casein), thereby acting as a pro-oxidant. Ab-initio quantum chemical calculations suggest structural and electronic changes on oxidation of CPZ. The calculations with Hartree-Fock and density functional methods show that ring nitrogen atom is the site of electron removal from CPZ and sulfur atom is the site of maximum spin in CPZ rad + . The calculations also suggest that oxidation of CPZ leads to increase in planarity of the tricyclic ring as well as tilting of alkyl side chain towards chlorine containing ring. The structural changes on oxidation of CPZ and spin delocalization in CPZ rad + fairly explain the pro-oxidant activity of CPZ.

Electrochemical oxidation of all-trans-canthaxanthin and {beta}-carotene in dichloromethane leads to significant trans-to-cis isomerization, with cis isomers accounting for about 40% of the products formed. The electrochemically generated isomers were separated by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and identified as 9-cis, 13-cis, 15-cis, and 9,13-di-cis isomers of the carotenoids by {sup 1}H-NMR spectroscopy and optical spectroscopy (Q ratio). The results of simultaneous bulk electrolysis and optical absorption spectroscopy indicate the following isomerization mechanism: the all-trans cation radicals and/or dications formed by electrochemical oxidation of all-trans-carotenoids can easily undergo geometrical isomerization to form cis cation radicals and/or dications. The latter are converted by the comproportionation equilibrium to cation radicals which are then transformed to neutral cis-carotenoids by exchanging one electron with neutral carotenoids. AM1 molecular orbital calculations, which show that the energy barriers of configurational transformation from trans to cis are much lower in the cation radical and dication species than in the neutral molecule, strongly support the first step of this mechanism. 36 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.

Esterquat cationic softener is basically the class of surface active quaternary ammonium compounds. Esterquat compounds were synthesized and their surface behavior, antibacterial activity and Textile softening properties were investigated. Easily found cheap material was used to synthesize cationic fabric softeners. This fabric softener will be a good for commercially and industrially important because their emulsify activity, rewettability dispersing power and softness. Free fatty acids were derived from tallow oil and were treated with triethanolamine and mono-ethanolamine at 140°C. This diester was quaternaries with dimethyl sulphate and benzyl chloride. The synthesized esterquat compounds were characterized by its cationic content, 1H NMR and FT-IR analysis. In addition to the cationic content, surface tension, CMC (critical micelle concentration), rewettability, fabric softening, emulsification and dispersing power were determined as their surface-active properties. The fabric softening activity of esterquat and esteramide prepared from DMS was better softening activity of fabrics compared to untreated cotton and polyester fabrics cloth. The presented result shows that the esterquat made from BCl exhibit the best dispersing power. The esterquat made from DMS both in TEA and MEA shows good rewettability was determined.

Quickly, accurately, and easily assessing the efficacy of treatments to control sessile arthropods (e.g., scale insects) and stationary immature life stages (e.g., eggs and pupae) is problematic because it is difficult to tell whether treated organisms are alive or dead. Current approaches usually involve either maintaining organisms in the laboratory to observe them for development, gauging their response to physical stimulation, or assessing morphological characters such as turgidity and color. These can be slow, technically difficult, or subjective, and the validity of methods other than laboratory rearing has seldom been tested. Here, we describe development and validation of a quick easily used biochemical colorimetric assay for measuring the viability of arthropods that is sufficiently sensitive to test even very small organisms such as white fly eggs. The assay was adapted from a technique for staining the enzyme hexokinase to signal the presence of adenosine triphosphate in viable specimens by reducing a tetrazolium salt to formazan. Basic laboratory facilities and skills are required for production of the stain, but no specialist equipment, expertise, or facilities are needed for its use.

Abstract The metalated ylide YNa [Y=(Ph3PCSO2Tol)−] was employed as X,L‐donor ligand for the preparation of a series of boron cations. Treatment of the bis‐ylide functionalized borane Y2BH with different trityl salts or B(C6F5)3 for hydride abstraction readily results in the formation of the bis‐ylide functionalized boron cation [Y−B−Y]+ (2). The high donor capacity of the ylide ligands allowed the isolation of the cationic species and its characterization in solution as well as in solid state. DFT calculations demonstrate that the cation is efficiently stabilized through electrostatic effects as well as π‐donation from the ylide ligands, which results in its high stability. Despite the high stability of 2 [Y−B−Y]+ serves as viable source for the preparation of further borenium cations of type Y2B+←LB by addition of Lewis bases such as amines and amides. Primary and secondary amines react to tris(amino)boranes via N−H activation across the B−C bond. PMID:28185370

Meeting the high demand for lanthanide-doped luminescent nanocrystals across a broad range of fields hinges upon the development of a robust synthetic protocol that provides rapid, just-in-time nanocrystal preparation. However, to date, almost all lanthanide-doped luminescent nanomaterials have relied on direct synthesis requiring stringent controls over crystal nucleation and growth at elevated temperatures. Here we demonstrate the use of a cation exchange strategy for expeditiously accessing large classes of such nanocrystals. By combining the process of cation exchange with energy migration, the luminescence properties of the nanocrystals can be easily tuned while preserving the size, morphology and crystal phase of the initial nanocrystal template. This post-synthesis strategy enables us to achieve upconversion luminescence in Ce3+ and Mn2+-activated hexagonal-phased nanocrystals, opening a gateway towards applications ranging from chemical sensing to anti-counterfeiting. PMID:27698348

Meeting the high demand for lanthanide-doped luminescent nanocrystals across a broad range of fields hinges upon the development of a robust synthetic protocol that provides rapid, just-in-time nanocrystal preparation. However, to date, almost all lanthanide-doped luminescent nanomaterials have relied on direct synthesis requiring stringent controls over crystal nucleation and growth at elevated temperatures. Here we demonstrate the use of a cation exchange strategy for expeditiously accessing large classes of such nanocrystals. By combining the process of cation exchange with energy migration, the luminescence properties of the nanocrystals can be easily tuned while preserving the size, morphology and crystal phase of the initial nanocrystal template. This post-synthesis strategy enables us to achieve upconversion luminescence in Ce3+ and Mn2+-activated hexagonal-phased nanocrystals, opening a gateway towards applications ranging from chemical sensing to anti-counterfeiting.

Atomic force microscopy was used to monitor the macroscopic deformation in a delaminated Ti₃C₂ paper electrode in-situ, during charge/discharge in a variety of aqueous electrolytes to examine the effect of the cation intercalation on the electrochemical behavior and mechanical response. The results show a strong dependence of the electrode deformation on cation size and charge. The electrode undergoes a large contraction during Li⁺, Na⁺ or Mg²⁺ intercalation, differentiating the Ti₃C₂ paper from conventional electrodes where redox intercalation of ions (e.g. Li⁺) into the bulk phase (e.g. graphite, silicon) results in volumetric expansion. This feature may explain the excellent rate performance and cyclability reported for MXenes. We also demonstrated that the variation of the electromechanical contraction can be easily adjusted by electrolyte exchange, and shows interesting characteristics for the design of actuators based on 2D metal carbides.

Uranium is important in the nuclear fuel cycle both as an energy source and as radioactive waste. It is of vital importance to recover uranium from nuclear waste solutions for further treatment and disposal. Herein we present the first chalcogenide example, (Me2NH2)1.33(Me3NH)0.67Sn3S7·1.25H2O (FJSM-SnS), in which organic amine cations can be used for selective UO2(2+) ion-exchange. The UO2(2+)-exchange kinetics perfectly conforms to pseudo-second-order reaction, which is observed for the first time in a chalcogenide ion-exchanger. This reveals the chemical adsorption process and its ion-exchange mechanism. FJSM-SnS has excellent pH stability in both strongly acidic and basic environments (pH = 2.1-11), with a maximum uranium-exchange capacity of 338.43 mg/g. It can efficiently capture UO2(2+) ions in the presence of high concentrations of Na(+), Ca(2+), or HCO3(-) (the highest distribution coefficient Kd value reached 4.28 × 10(4) mL/g). The material is also very effective in removing of trace levels of U in the presence of excess Na(+) (the relative amounts of U removed are close to 100%). The UO2(2+)···S(2-) interactions are the basis for the high selectivity. Importantly, the uranyl ion in the exchanged products could be easily eluted with an environmentally friendly method, by treating the UO2(2+)-laden materials with a concentrated KCl solution. These advantages coupled with the very high loading capacity, low cost, environmentally friendly nature, and facile synthesis make FJSM-SnS a new promising remediation material for removal of radioactive U from nuclear waste solutions.

A material having cation exchange and adsorption properties was prepared by the controlled pyrolysis of starch in the presence of a commercial phytic acid solution. Resins can be prepared with binding capacities of 0.7-5.7 meq/g. These resins also have the ability to remove atrazine from aqueous solutions.

The objective of this project is to make use of products obtained from renewable plant sources as monomers for the direct production of polymers which can be used for a wide range of plastic applications. In this report is described progress in the synthesis and polymerization of cationically polymerizable monomers and oligomers derived from botanical oils, terpenes, natural rubber, and lignin. Nine different botanical oils were obtained from various sources, characterized and then epoxidized. Their photopolymerization was carried out using cationic photoinitiators and the mechanical properties of the resulting polymers characterized. Preliminary biodegradation studies are being conducted on the photopolymerized films from several of these oils. Limonene was cationically polymerized to give dimers and the dimers epoxidized to yield highly reactive monomers suitable for coatings, inks and adhesives. The direct phase transfer epoxidation of squalene and natural rubber was carried out. The modified rubbers undergo facile photocrosslinking in the presence of onium salts to give crosslinked elastomers. 12 refs., 3 figs., 10 tabs.

This patent describes a thickened, solids free, aqueous drilling and servicing brine having a density of at least 14.4 ppg. comprising (a) an aqueous solution of at least one water-soluble salt of a multivalent metal, and (b) a cationic water-in-oil emulsion polymer of acrylamide or methacrylamide and a cationic monomer selected from the group consisting of a dialkylaminoalkyl acrylamide or methacrylamide, a trialkylaminoalkyl acrylamide or methacrylamide, a trialkylaminoalkyl acrylate or methacrylate, and a dialkyldialkyl ammonium halide. The acrylamide or methacrylamide to cationic monomer molar ratio of the polymer is about 70:30 to 95:5, the polymer having an I.V. in 1.0N KCl of about 1.0 to 7.0 dl/g and being present in a compatible and viscosifying amount; the thickened brine characterized by being substantially non-dilatent.

Among the various postsynthesis treatments of colloidal nanocrystals that have been developed to date, transformations by cation exchange have recently emerged as an extremely versatile tool that has given access to a wide variety of materials and nanostructures. One notable example in this direction is represented by partial cation exchange, by which preformed nanocrystals can be either transformed to alloy nanocrystals or to various types of nanoheterostructures possessing core/shell, segmented, or striped architectures. In this review, we provide an up to date overview of the complex colloidal nanostructures that could be prepared so far by cation exchange. At the same time, the review gives an account of the fundamental thermodynamic and kinetic parameters governing these types of reactions, as they are currently understood, and outlines the main open issues and possible future developments in the field. PMID:26891471

From a systematic study of the concentration driven diffusion of positive and negative ions across porous 2D membranes of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), we prove their cation selectivity. Using the current–voltage characteristics of graphene and h-BN monolayers separating reservoirs of different salt concentrations, we calculate the reversal potential as a measure of selectivity. We tune the Debye screening length by exchanging the salt concentrations and demonstrate that negative surface charge gives rise to cation selectivity. Surprisingly, h-BN and graphene membranes show similar characteristics, strongly suggesting a common origin of selectivity in aqueous solvents. For the first time, we demonstrate that the cation flux can be increased by using ozone to create additional pores in graphene while maintaining excellent selectivity. We discuss opportunities to exploit our scalable method to use 2D membranes for applications including osmotic power conversion. PMID:28157333

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of short-chain cationic polyelectrolytes of different molecular weights and charge densities in reducing turbidity and selectively removing toxic wood extractives from chemical birch pulp filtrate. The effects of chemical type, dosage and temperature were of interest. An effective performance was achieved with a copolymer of acrylamide and methacrylate of medium molecular weight and medium charge density at 72 degrees C and pH 5-6. The dosage range optimum for reducing the turbidity was 102-142 mg/L. Up to 92% of the wood extractives was selectively removed.

Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is a statistical method that is widely used in the psychosomatic literature to analyze the results of randomized trials, yet ANOVA does not provide an estimate for the difference between groups, the key variable of interest in a randomized trial. Although the use of ANOVA is frequently justified on the grounds that a trial incorporates more than two groups, the hypothesis tested by ANOVA for these trials--"Are all groups equivalent?"--is often scientifically uninteresting. Regression methods are not only applicable to trials with many groups, but can be designed to address specific questions arising from the study design. ANOVA is also frequently used for trials with repeated measures, but the consequent reporting of "group effects," "time effects," and "time-by-group interactions" is a distraction from statistics of clinical and scientific value. Given that ANOVA is easily misapplied in the analysis of randomized trials, alternative approaches such as regression methods should be considered in preference.

Nonviral gene delivery systems based on conventional high-molecular-weight chitosans are efficient after lung administration in vivo, but have poor physical properties such as aggregated shapes, low solubility at neutral pH, high viscosity at concentrations used for in vivo delivery and a slow dissociation and release of plasmid DNA, resulting in a slow onset of action. We therefore developed highly effective nonviral gene delivery systems with improved physical properties from a series of chitosan oligomers, ranging in molecular weight from 1.2 to 10 kDa. First, we established structure-property relationships with regard to polyplex formation and in vivo efficiency after lung administration to mice. In a second step, we isolated chitosan oligomers from a preferred oligomer fraction to obtain fractions, ranging from 10 to 50-mers, of more homogeneous size distributions with polydispersities ranging from 1.01 to 1.09. Polyplexes based on chitosan oligomers dissociated more easily than those of a high-molecular-weight ultrapure chitosan (UPC, approximately a 1000-mer), and released pDNA in the presence of anionic heparin. The more easily dissociated polyplexes mediated a faster onset of action and gave a higher gene expression both in 293 cells in vitro and after lung administration in vivo as compared to the more stable UPC polyplexes. Already 24 h after intratracheal administration, a 120- to 260-fold higher luciferase gene expression was observed compared to UPC in the mouse lung in vivo. The gene expression in the lung was comparable to that of PEI (respective AUCs of 2756+/-710 and 3320+/-871 pg luciferase x days/mg of total lung protein). In conclusion, a major improvement of chitosan-mediated nonviral gene delivery to the lung was obtained by using polyplexes of well-defined chitosan oligomers. Polyplexes of oligomer fractions also had superior physicochemical properties to commonly used high-molecular-weight UPC.

Objective: The liver hanging maneuver (LHM) is rarely applied in laparoscopic right hepatectomy (LRH) because of the difficulty encountered in retrohepatic tunnel (RT) dissection and tape positioning. Thus far no report has detailed how to quickly and easily establish RT for laparoscopic LHM in LRH, nor has employment of the Goldfinger dissector to create a total RT been reported. This study’s aim was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of establishing RT for laparoscopic LHM using the Goldfinger dissector in LRH. Methods: Between March 2015 and July 2015, five consecutive patients underwent LRH via the caudal approach with laparoscopic LHM. A five-step strategy using the Goldfinger dissector to establish RT for laparoscopic LHM was adopted. Perioperative data were analyzed. Results: The median age of patients was 58 (range, 51–65) years. Surgery was performed for one intrahepatic lithiasis and four hepatocellular carcinomas with a median size of 90 (40–150) mm. The median operative time was 320 (282–358) min with a median blood loss of 200 (200–600) ml. Laparoscopic LHM was achieved in a median of 31 (21–62) min, and the median postoperative hospital stay was 14 (9–16) d. No transfusion or conversion was required, and no severe liver-related morbidity or death was observed. Conclusions: The Goldfinger dissector is a useful instrument for the establishment of RT. A five-step strategy using the Goldfinger dissector can quickly and easily facilitate an RT for a laparoscopic LHM in LRH. PMID:27604863

An improved method is presented for the chromatographic separation of fission products wherein a substantial reduction in liquid volume is obtained. The process consists in contacting a solution containing fission products with a body of ion-exchange adsorbent to effect adsorption of fission product cations. The loaded exchange resin is then contacted with a small volume of a carboxylic acid eluant, thereby recovering the fission products. The fission product carrying eluate is acidified without increasing its volume to the volume of the original solution, and the acidified eluate is then used as a feed solution for a smaller body of ion-exchange resin effecting readsorption of the fission product cations.

In this study, sodium dodecyl sulfate-coated maghemite nanoparticles (SDS-coated γ-Fe2O3 NPs), was used for removal of cationic dye Acridine Orange from water samples. The γ-Fe2O3 NPs were synthesized by co-precipitation method and were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) to examine their size and magnetic moment. The adsorption experiments were performed using the batch system. The prepared magnetic adsorbent was well dispersed in water and easily separated magnetically from the medium after loaded with adsorbate. Four most important operating variables including initial pH of the solution, dosage of adsorbent, concentration of dye and contact time was studied and optimized by response surface methodology (RSM), involving Box-Behnken design matrix. Twenty-seven experiments were performed to investigate the effect of these parameters on removal of the dye. The results showed that initial pH of the solution was the most effective parameter in comparison with others. Also, experimental parameters were optimized and chose the best conditions by determination of effective factors. The optimized conditions for dye removal were at initial pH 5.1 0.8 g L-1 of adsorbent, 30.0 mg L-1 dye and 43 min adsorption time. The experimental data were analyzed by the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models. The maximum predicted adsorption capacities for Acridine Orange was 285.82 mg g-1.

In this work that aims to synthesize and evaluate new cationic lipids as vectors for gene delivery, we report the synthesis of a series of cationic lipids in which a phosphate functional group acts as a linker to assemble on a molecular scale, two lipid chains and one cationic polar head. The mono or dicationic moiety is connected to the phosphate group by an aryl spacer. In this work, two synthesis strategies were evaluated. The first used the Atherton-Todd coupling reaction to introduce a phenolic derivative to dioleylphosphite. The second strategy used a sequential addition of lipid alcohol and a phenolic derivative on POCl3. The two methods are efficient, but the latter allows larger yields. Different polar head groups were introduced, thus producing amphiphilic compounds possessing either one permanent (N-methyl-imidazolium, pyridinium, trimethylammonium) or two permanent cationic charges. All these cationic lipids were formulated as liposomal solutions and characterized (size and zeta potential). They formed stable liposomal solutions both in water (at pH 7.0) and in a weakly acidic medium (at pH 5.5). Finally, this new generation of cationic lipids was used to deliver DNA into various human-derived epithelial cells cultured in vitro. Compared with Lipofectamine used as a reference commercial lipofection reagent, some cationic dialkylarylphosphates were able to demonstrate potent gene transfer abilities, and noteworthily, monocationic derivatives were much more efficient than dicationic analogues.

Novel phosphorous-containing β-cyclodextrin (βCD) polymers (CDP) were synthesized easily under "green chemistry" conditions. A simple polycondensation between the hydroxyl groups of βCD and non-toxic sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) under basic conditions led to soluble, non-reticulated CDPs with molecular weights (Mw) higher than 10(4) g mol(-1), the actual value depending on the NaOH:βCD and STMP:βCD weight ratios. The presence of both βCD and phosphate groups in the polymer allows for strong interactions with amphiphilic probes, such as 1-adamantyl acetic acid, or with divalent cations, such as Ca(2+), whose strengths were characterized by isothermal titration microcalorimetry. The obtained phosphated compounds also display high affinity towards hydroxyapatite (HA), leading to HA nanoparticles that could easily be recovered by CDPs, as demonstrated by transmission electron microscopy and quantitative determination of the total amount of phosphated molecules fixed on HA.

A considerable increase in nitrate concentration in groundwater has become a serious concern worldwide. We developed a novel submerged microbial desalination-denitrification cell (SMDDC) to in situ remove nitrate from groundwater, produce electric energy, and potentially treat wastewater. The SMDDC, which was composed of an anode and a cathode chamber, can be easily applied to subsurface environments. When current was produced by bacteria on the anode, [Formula: see text] and Na(+) were transferred into the anode and cathode through anion and cation exchange membrane, respectively; the anode effluent was directed to the cathode where [Formula: see text] was reduced to N(2) through autotrophic denitrification. For proof-of-concept, the SMDDC was fed with synthetic wastewater as fuel and submerged into a glass reactor filled with synthetic groundwater. The SMDDC produced 3.4 A/m(2) of current density, while removing 90.5% of nitrate from groundwater with 12 h wastewater hydraulic retention time (HRT) and 10 Ω of external resistance. The nitrate concentration and ionic strength of groundwater were the main limiting factors to the system performance. Besides, the external resistance and HRT were also affecting the system performance. Furthermore, the SMDDC showed improved performance with high ionic strength of groundwater (2200 μS/cm) and was able to reduce groundwater salinity as well. External nitrification was beneficial to the current generation and nitrate removal rate, but was not affecting total nitrogen removal. Results clearly indicate that this system holds a great potential for efficient and cost-effective treatment of nitrate-containing groundwater and energy recovery.

The problems associated with the disposal of toxic metals in an environmentally acceptable manner continues to plague industry. Such metals as nickel, vanadium, molybdenum, cobalt, iron, and antimony present physiological and ecological challenges that are best addressed through minimization of exposure and dispersion. A method for encapsulating hazardous cations is provided comprising supplying a pretreated substrate containing the cations; contacting the substrate with an organo-silane compound to form a coating on the substrate; and allowing the coating to cure. A medium for containing hazardous cations is also provided, comprising a substrate having ion-exchange capacity and a silane-containing coating on the substrate.

/sup 23/Na NMR Studies of cation transport across membranes were conducted both on model and biological membranes. Two ionophores, the carrier monensin and the channel-former gramicidin, were chosen to induce cation transport in large unilamellar phosphatidylcholine vesicles. The distinction between the NMR signals arising from the two sides of the membrane was achieved by the addition of an anionic paramagnetic shift reagent to the outer solution. The kinetics of the cation transport across the membrane was observed simultaneously monitoring the changes in the /sup 23/Na NMR signals of both compartments. Two mathematical models were developed for the estimation of the transport parameters of the monensin- and gramicidin-induced cation transport. The models were able to fit the experimental data very well. A new method for the estimation of the volume trapped inside the vesicles was developed. The method uses the relative areas of the intra- and extravesicular NMR signals arising from a suspension of vesicles bathed in the same medium they contain, as a measure for the relative volumes of these compartments. Sodium transport across biological membranes was studied by /sup 23/ NMR, using suspensions of cultured nerve cells. The sodium influx through voltage-gated channels was studied using the channel modifier batrachotoxin in combination with scorpion toxin.

A method for the synthesis and manufacturing of elastomeric compositions and articles containing quaternary nitrogen centers and condensation residues along the polymeric backbone of the centers is presented. Linear and cross-linked straight chain and block polymers having a wide damping temperature range were synthesized. Formulae for the viscoelastic cationic polymers are presented.

The factors that control the extent of adsorption of amphiphilic organic cations on environmental and pristine surfaces have been studied. The sorbents were kaolinite, montmorillonite, two aquifer materials, and a soil; solutions contained various concentrations of NaCl and CaCl,...

The efforts dedicated to improving water decontamination procedures have prompted the interest in the development of efficient, inexpensive, and reusable sorbents for the uptake of dye pollutants. In this work, novel sorbents consisting of carrageenan polysaccharides grafted to magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared. κ- and ι-carrageenan were first chemically modified by carboxymethylation and then covalently attached via amide bond to the surface of aminated silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles, both steps monitored using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The kinetics and the equilibrium behavior of the cationic dye methylene blue (MB) adsorption onto the carrageenan sorbents were investigated. ι-carrageenan sorbents displayed higher MB adsorption capacity that was ascribed to high content of sulfonate groups. Overall, the pseudo-second order equation provided a good description of the adsorption kinetics. The κ-carrageenan sorbents followed an unusual Z-type equilibrium adsorption isotherm whereas the isotherm of ι-carrageenan sorbents, although displaying a conventional shape, could not be successfully predicted by isotherm models commonly used. Noteworthy, both sorbents were long-term stable and could easily be recycled by simply rinsing with KCl aqueous solution. The removal efficiency of κ-carrageenan sorbents was 92 % in the first adsorption cycle and kept high (>80 %) even after six consecutive adsorption/desorption cycles.

A process for producing substantially impurity-free Bi-213 cations is disclosed. An aqueous acid feed solution containing Ac-225 cations is contacted with an ion exchange medium to bind the Ac-225 cations and form an Ac-225-laden ion exchange medium. The bound Ac-225 incubates on the ion exchange medium to form Bi-213 cations by radioactive decay. The Bi-213 cations are then recovered from the Ac-225-laden ion exchange medium to form a substantially impurity-free aqueous Bi-213 cation acid solution. An apparatus for carrying out this process is also disclosed.

A process for producing substantially impurity-free Bi-213 cations is disclosed. An aqueous acid feed solution containing Ac-225 cations is contacted with an ion exchange medium to bind the Ac-225 cations and form an Ac-225-laden ion exchange medium. The bound Ac-225 incubates on the ion exchange medium to form Bi-213 cations by radioactive decay. The Bi-213 cations are then recovered from the Ac-225-laden ion exchange medium to form a substantially impurity-free aqueous Bi-213 cation acid solution. An apparatus for carrying out this process is also disclosed. 7 figs.

Salivary stones in the parotid gland can be treated with a wide range of methods. Stones close to the opening of the duct can be easilyremoved through the oral cavity, whereas the entire salivary gland may need to be removed if stones are located close to the parotid gland. In such cases, surgical removal of the parotid gland may be lengthy and may produce facial nerve injury. We report a simple extraoral approach used for the removal of parotid gland stones located close to the parotid gland by precisely identifying the location of stones in 2 patients with parotid sialolithiasis.

Evaluation of prior research and preliminary investigations in our laboratory led to the development of an extraction strategy that can be used to target different cations in activated sludge floc and extract their associated extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). The methods we used were the cation exchange resin (CER) procedure, base extraction, and sulfide addition to extract EPS linked with divalent cations, Al, and Fe, respectively. A comparison of sludge cations before and after CER extraction revealed that most of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) were removed while Fe and Al remained intact, suggesting that this method is highly selective for Ca(2+) and Mg(2+)-bound EPS. The correlation between sludge Fe and sulfide-extracted EPS was indicative of selectivity of this method for Fe-bound EPS. The base extraction was less specific than the other methods but it was the method releasing the largest amount of Al into the extract, indicating that the method extracted Al-bound EPS. Concomitantly, the composition of extracted EPS and the amino acid composition differed for the three methods, indicating that EPS associated with different metals were not the same. The change in EPS following anaerobic and aerobic digestion was also characterized by the three extraction methods. CER-extracted EPS were reduced after aerobic digestion while they changed little by anaerobic digestion. On the other hand, anaerobic digestion was associated with the decrease in sulfide-extracted EPS. These results suggest that different types of cation-EPS binding mechanisms exist in activated sludge and that each cation-associated EPS fraction imparts unique digestion characteristics to activated sludge.

The purpose of this study was to assess preservice teachers' views of Nature of Science (NOS), identify aspects that were challenging for conceptual change, and explore reasons why. This study particularly focused on why and how some concepts of NOS may be more easily altered than others. Fourteen preservice science teachers enrolled in a NOS and Science Inquiry course participated in this study. Data were collected by using a pre/post format with the Views of Nature of Science questionnaire (VNOS-270), the Views of Scientific Inquiry questionnaire (VOSI-270), follow-up interviews, and classroom artifacts. The results indicated that most students initially held naïve views about certain aspects of NOS like tentativeness and subjectivity. By the end of the semester, almost all students dramatically improved their understanding about almost all aspects of NOS. However, several students still struggled with certain aspects like the differences between scientific theory and law, tentativeness, and socio-cultural embeddedness. Results suggested that instructional, motivational, and socio-cultural factors may influence if and how students changed their views about targeted NOS aspects. Students thought that classroom activities, discussions, and readings were most helpful to improve their views about NOS. The findings from the research have the potential to translate as practical advice for teachers, science educators, and future researchers.

For perovskite solar cells (Pero-SCs), one of the key issues with respect to the power conversion efficiency (PCE) is the morphology control of the perovskite thin-films. In this study, an easily-accessible additive polyethylenimine (PEI) is utilized to tune the morphology of CH3NH3PbI3-xClx. With addition of 1.00 wt% of PEI, the smoothness and crystallinity of the perovskite were greatly improved, which were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). A summit PCE of 14.07% was achieved for the p-i-n type Pero-SC, indicating a 26% increase compared to those of the devices without the additive. Both photoluminescence (PL) and alternating current impedance spectroscopy (ACIS) analyses confirm the efficiency results after the addition of PEI. This study provides a low-cost polymer additive candidate for tuning the morphology of perovskite thin-films, and might be a new clue for the mass production of Pero-SCs.

Abstract We report the formation of easily accessible hydrogen‐bonded columnar discotic liquid crystals (LCs) based on tris‐benzoimidazolyl benzene (TBIB) and commercially available fatty acids. By increasing the length of the fatty acid, the temperature range of liquid crystallinity was tuned. Introducing double bonds in octadecanoic acid lowered the crystallization temperature and increased the temperature range of the mesophase. Surprisingly, dimerized linoleic acid also forms an LC phase. When using branched aliphatic acids with the branching point close to the acid moiety, the mesophase was lost, whereas phosphonic acid or benzenesulfonic acid derivatives did have a mesophase, showing that the generality of this approach extends beyond carboxylic acids as the hydrogen‐bond donor. Furthermore, a polymerizable LC phase was obtained from mixtures of TBIB with a methacrylate‐bearing fatty acid, providing an approach for the fabrication of nanoporous polymer films if the methacrylate groups are polymerized. Finally, the higher solubility of methyl‐TBIB was used to suppress phase separation in stoichiometric mixtures of the template molecule with fatty acids. PMID:28032028

A pressure-induced phase transition, associated with the formation of cation-cation bonding, occurs in V2O3 by combining synchroton x-ray diffraction in a diamond anvil cell and ab initio evolutionary calculations. The high-pressure phase has a monoclinic structure with a C2/c space group, and it is both energetically and dynamically stable at pressures above 47 GPa to at least 105 GPa. this phase transition can be viewed as a two-dimensional Peierls-like distortion, where the cation-cation dimer chains are connected along the c axis of the monoclinic cell. In conclusion, this finding provides insights into the interplay of electron correlation and lattice distortionmore » in V2O3, and it may also help to understand novel properties of other early transition-metal oxides.« less

A new mixed-valent neptunium(IV/V) compound has been synthesized by evaporation of a neptunium(V) acidic solution. The structure of the compound features cation-cation-bound six-membered neptunyl(V) rings. These rings are further connected by Np(IV) ions through cation-cation interactions (CCIs) into a three-dimensional neptunium cationic open framework. This example illustrates the possibility of isolating neptunyl(V) CCI oligomers in inorganic systems using other cations to compete with Np(V) in bonding with the neptunyl oxygen.

The feasibility of using surfactants as extracting agent for the removal of radium species from TENORM sludge produced from petroleum industry is evaluated. In this investigation cationic and nonionic surfactants were used as extracting agents for the removal of radium radionuclides from the sludge waste. Two surfactants namely cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and Triton X-100 (TX100) were investigated as the extracting agents. Different parameters affecting the removal of both (226)Ra and (228)Ra by the two surfactants as well as their admixture were studied by the batch technique. These parameters include effect of shaking time, surfactants concentration and temperature as well as the effect of surfactants admixture. It was found that, higher solution temperature improves the removal efficiency of radium species. Combined extraction of nonionic and cationic surfactants produces synergistic effect in removal both (226)Ra and (228)Ra, where the removals reached 84% and 80% for (226)Ra and (228)Ra, respectively, were obtained using surfactants admixture.

Synthetic cationic polymers constitute a wide class of polymeric biocides. Commonly their antimicrobial effect is associated to their interaction with bacterial membranes. In the present study we analyze the interaction of various cationic polymers with model bacterial membranes comprised of a mixture of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylglycerol (PG). We describe a polymer-membrane interaction as a process of modification of the surface charge. It is well known that small monovalent inorganic cations (Na+, K+) cannot overcharge the surface of a bilayer containing anionic lipids. In contrast, polycations are able to overcharge anionic membranes and demonstrate a very large input to the electric field distribution at the membrane-water interface. We aimed here to study the electrostatic effects associated with the interaction of polycations of different types with a model lipid membrane whose composition closely resembles that of bacterial membranes (PE:PG = 1:4). Four different cationic polymers (polyvinylamine, polyallylamine, poly-L-lysine and polyethylenimine) were adsorbed at a model PE/PG bilayer in MD simulations. Adsorption of sodium cations was inspected separately for PE/PG bilayers of different composition and cation’s binding parameters were determined. From computational experiments and consequent theoretical analysis we concluded that sodium adsorption at anionic binding sites does not depend on the presence of polycations. Therefore, we hypothesize that antimicrobial activity of the studied cationic polymers should depend on the ionic composition of the medium.

Easilyremovable, environmentally safe, low-density, syntactic foams are disclosed which are prepared by mixing insoluble microballoons with a solution of water and/or alcohol-soluble polymer to produce a pourable slurry, optionally vacuum filtering the slurry in varying degrees to remove unwanted solvent and solute polymer, and drying to remove residual solvent. The properties of the foams can be controlled by the concentration and physical properties of the polymer, and by the size and properties of the microballoons. The suggested solute polymers are non-toxic and soluble in environmentally safe solvents such as water or low-molecular weight alcohols. The syntactic foams produced by this process are particularly useful in those applications where ease of removability is beneficial, and could find use in packaging recoverable electronic components, in drilling and mining applications, in building trades, in art works, in the entertainment industry for special effects, in manufacturing as temporary fixtures, in agriculture as temporary supports and containers and for delivery of fertilizer, in medicine as casts and splints, as temporary thermal barriers, as temporary protective covers for fragile objects, as filters for particulate matter, which matter may be easily recovered upon exposure to a solvent, as in-situ valves (for one-time use) which go from maximum to minimum impedance when solvent flows through, and for the automatic opening or closing of spring-loaded, mechanical switches upon exposure to a solvent, among other applications. 1 fig.

Easilyremovable, environmentally safe, low-density, syntactic foams are disclosed which are prepared by mixing insoluble microballoons with a solution of water and/or alcohol-soluble polymer to produce a pourable slurry, optionally vacuum filtering the slurry in varying degrees to remove unwanted solvent and solute polymer, and drying to remove residual solvent. The properties of the foams can be controlled by the concentration and physical properties of the polymer, and by the size and properties of the microballoons. The suggested solute polymers are non-toxic and soluble in environmentally safe solvents such as water or low-molecular weight alcohols. The syntactic foams produced by this process are particularly useful in those applications where ease of removability is beneficial, and could find use in packaging recoverable electronic components, in drilling and mining applications, in building trades, in art works, in the entertainment industry for special effects, in manufacturing as temporary fixtures, in agriculture as temporary supports and containers and for delivery of fertilizer, in medicine as casts and splints, as temporary thermal barriers, as temporary protective covers for fragile objects, as filters for particulate matter, which matter may be easily recovered upon exposure to a solvent, as in-situ valves (for one-time use) which go from maximum to minimum impedance when solvent flows through, and for the automatic opening or closing of spring-loaded, mechanical switches upon exposure to a solvent, among other applications.

Imidazolium cations are promising candidates for preparing anion-exchange membranes because of their good alkaline stability. Substitution of imidazolium cations is an efficient way to improve their alkaline stability. By combining density functional theory calculations with experimental results, it is found that the LUMO energy correlates with the alkaline stability of imidazolium cations. The results indicate that alkyl groups are the most suitable substituents for the N3 position of imidazolium cations, and the LUMO energies of alkyl-substituted imidazolium cations depend on the electron-donating effect and the hyperconjugation effect. Comparing 1,2-dimethylimidazolium cations (1,2-DMIm+) and 1,3-dimethylimidazolium cations (1,3-DMIm+) with the same substituents reveals that the hyperconjugation effect is more significant in influencing the LUMO energy of 1,3-DMIms. This investigation reveals that LUMO energy is a helpful aid in predicting the alkaline stability of imidazolium cations.

Rising temperatures in the Arctic can affect soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition directly and indirectly, by increasing plant primary production and thus the allocation of plant-derived organic compounds into the soil. Such compounds, for example root exudates or decaying fine roots, are easily available for microorganisms, and can alter the decomposition of older SOM ("priming effect"). We here report on a SOM priming experiment in the active layer of a permafrost soil from the central Siberian Arctic, comparing responses of organic topsoil, mineral subsoil, and cryoturbated subsoil material (i.e., poorly decomposed topsoil material subducted into the subsoil by freeze-thaw processes) to additions of (13)C-labeled glucose, cellulose, a mixture of amino acids, and protein (added at levels corresponding to approximately 1% of soil organic carbon). SOM decomposition in the topsoil was barely affected by higher availability of organic compounds, whereas SOM decomposition in both subsoil horizons responded strongly. In the mineral subsoil, SOM decomposition increased by a factor of two to three after any substrate addition (glucose, cellulose, amino acids, protein), suggesting that the microbial decomposer community was limited in energy to break down more complex components of SOM. In the cryoturbated horizon, SOM decomposition increased by a factor of two after addition of amino acids or protein, but was not significantly affected by glucose or cellulose, indicating nitrogen rather than energy limitation. Since the stimulation of SOM decomposition in cryoturbated material was not connected to microbial growth or to a change in microbial community composition, the additional nitrogen was likely invested in the production of extracellular enzymes required for SOM decomposition. Our findings provide a first mechanistic understanding of priming in permafrost soils and suggest that an increase in the availability of organic carbon or nitrogen, e.g., by increased plant

Why does chanting, drumming or dancing together make people feel united? Here we investigate the neural mechanisms underlying interpersonal synchrony and its subsequent effects on prosocial behavior among synchronized individuals. We hypothesized that areas of the brain associated with the processing of reward would be active when individuals experience synchrony during drumming, and that these reward signals would increase prosocial behavior toward this synchronous drum partner. 18 female non-musicians were scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging while they drummed a rhythm, in alternating blocks, with two different experimenters: one drumming in-synchrony and the other out-of-synchrony relative to the participant. In the last scanning part, which served as the experimental manipulation for the following prosocial behavioral test, one of the experimenters drummed with one half of the participants in-synchrony and with the other out-of-synchrony. After scanning, this experimenter "accidentally" dropped eight pencils, and the number of pencils collected by the participants was used as a measure of prosocial commitment. Results revealed that participants who mastered the novel rhythm easily before scanning showed increased activity in the caudate during synchronous drumming. The same area also responded to monetary reward in a localizer task with the same participants. The activity in the caudate during experiencing synchronous drumming also predicted the number of pencils the participants later collected to help the synchronous experimenter of the manipulation run. In addition, participants collected more pencils to help the experimenter when she had drummed in-synchrony than out-of-synchrony during the manipulation run. By showing an overlap in activated areas during synchronized drumming and monetary reward, our findings suggest that interpersonal synchrony is related to the brain's reward system.

Rising temperatures in the Arctic can affect soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition directly and indirectly, by increasing plant primary production and thus the allocation of plant-derived organic compounds into the soil. Such compounds, for example root exudates or decaying fine roots, are easily available for microorganisms, and can alter the decomposition of older SOM (“priming effect”). We here report on a SOM priming experiment in the active layer of a permafrost soil from the central Siberian Arctic, comparing responses of organic topsoil, mineral subsoil, and cryoturbated subsoil material (i.e., poorly decomposed topsoil material subducted into the subsoil by freeze–thaw processes) to additions of 13C-labeled glucose, cellulose, a mixture of amino acids, and protein (added at levels corresponding to approximately 1% of soil organic carbon). SOM decomposition in the topsoil was barely affected by higher availability of organic compounds, whereas SOM decomposition in both subsoil horizons responded strongly. In the mineral subsoil, SOM decomposition increased by a factor of two to three after any substrate addition (glucose, cellulose, amino acids, protein), suggesting that the microbial decomposer community was limited in energy to break down more complex components of SOM. In the cryoturbated horizon, SOM decomposition increased by a factor of two after addition of amino acids or protein, but was not significantly affected by glucose or cellulose, indicating nitrogen rather than energy limitation. Since the stimulation of SOM decomposition in cryoturbated material was not connected to microbial growth or to a change in microbial community composition, the additional nitrogen was likely invested in the production of extracellular enzymes required for SOM decomposition. Our findings provide a first mechanistic understanding of priming in permafrost soils and suggest that an increase in the availability of organic carbon or nitrogen, e.g., by increased

The presence of heavy metals in aqueous systems is an intense health and environmental problem as implied by their harmful effects on human and other life forms. Among them, chromium is considered as an acutely hazardous compound contaminating the surface water from industrial wastes or entering the groundwater, the major source of drinking water, by leaching of chromite rocks. Chromium occurs in two stable oxidation states, Cr(III) and Cr(VI), with the hexavalent form being much more soluble and mobile in water having the ability to enter easily into living tissues or cells and thus become more toxic. Despite the established risks from Cr(VI)-containing water consumption and the increasing number of incidents, the E.U. tolerance limit for total chromium in potable water still stands at 50 μg/L. However, in the last years a worldwide debate concerning the establishment of a separate and very strict limit for the hexavalent form takes place. In practice, Cr(VI) is usually removed from water by various methods such as chemical coagulation/filtration, ion exchange, reverse osmosis and adsorption. Adsorption is considered as the simplest method which may become very effective if the process is facilitated by the incorporation of a Cr(VI) to Cr(III) reduction stage. This work studies the potential of using magnetic nanoparticles as adsorbing agents for Cr(VI) removal at the concentration levels met in contaminated drinking water. A variety of nanoparticles consisting of ferrites MFe2O4 (M=Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mn, Mg, Zn) were prepared by precipitating the corresponding bivalent or trivalent sulfate salts under controlled acidity and temperature. Electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques were used to verify their crystal structure and determine the morphological characteristics. The mean particle size of the samples was found in the range 10-50 nm. Batch Cr(VI) removal tests were performed in aqueous nanoparticles dispersions showing the efficiency of ferrite

Nanoscale zerovalent copper supported on a cation resin was successfully synthesized to enhance the removal of carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) from contaminated water. The use of the cation resin as a support prevents the reduction of surface area due to agglomeration of nanoscale zerovalent copper particles. Moreover, the cation resin recycles the copper ions resulting from the reaction between CCl(4) and Cu(0) by simultaneous ion exchange. The decline in the amount of CCl(4) in aqueous solution results from the combined effects of degradation by nanoscale zerovalent copper and sorption by the cation resin; thus the amount of CCl(4) both in aqueous solution and sorbed onto the resin were measured. The pseudo-first-order rate constant normalized by the surface-area and the mass concentration of nanoscale zerovalent copper (k(SA)) was 2.1+/-0.1 x 10(-2)lh(-1)m(-2), approximately twenty times that of commercial powdered zerovalent copper (0.04 mm). Due to the exchange between Cu(2+) and the strongly acidic ions (H(+) or Na(+)), the pH was between 3 and 4 in unbuffered solution and Cu(2+) at the concentration of less than 0.1 mg l(-1) was measured after the dechlorination reaction. In the above-ground application, resin as a support would facilitate the development of a process that could be designed for convenient emplacement and regeneration of porous reductive medium.

Effect of organic cations on hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) of carbon supported platinum (Pt/C) is investigated using three 0.1 M alkaline electrolytes, tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH), tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAOH) and tetrabutylphosphonium hydroxide (TBPOH). Rotating disk electrode experiments indicate that the HOR of Pt/C is adversely impacted by time-dependent and potential-driven chemisorption of organic cations. In-situ infrared reflection adsorption spectroscopy experiments indicated that the specific chemisorption of organic cations drives the hydroxide co-adsorption on Pt surface. The co-adsorption of TMA+ and hydroxide at 0.1 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode is the strongest; consequently, complete removal of the co-adsorbed layer from Pt surface is difficult even after exposure the Pt surface to 1.2 V. Conversely, the chemisorption of TBP+ is the weakest, yet notable decrease of HOR current density is still observed. The adsorption energies, ΔE, for TMA+, TBA+, and TBP+ on Pt (111) surface from density functional theory are computed to be -2.79, -2.42 and -2.00 eV, respectively. The relatively low adsorption energy of TBP+ is explained by the steric hindrance and electronic effect. This study emphasizes the importance of cationic group on HOR activity of alkaline anion exchange membrane fuel cells.

Effect of organic cations on hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) of carbon supported platinum (Pt/C) is investigated using three 0.1 M alkaline electrolytes, tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH), tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAOH) and tetrabutylphosphonium hydroxide (TBPOH). Rotating disk electrode experiments indicate that the HOR of Pt/C is adversely impacted by time-dependent and potential-driven chemisorption of organic cations. In-situ infrared reflection adsorption spectroscopy experiments indicated that the specific chemisorption of organic cations drives the hydroxide co-adsorption on Pt surface. The co-adsorption of TMA+ and hydroxide at 0.1 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode is the strongest; consequently, complete removal of the co-adsorbed layer from Pt surfacemore » is difficult even after exposure the Pt surface to 1.2 V. Conversely, the chemisorption of TBP+ is the weakest, yet notable decrease of HOR current density is still observed. The adsorption energies, ΔE, for TMA+, TBA+, and TBP+ on Pt (111) surface from density functional theory are computed to be -2.79, -2.42 and -2.00 eV, respectively. The relatively low adsorption energy of TBP+ is explained by the steric hindrance and electronic effect. This study emphasizes the importance of cationic group on HOR activity of alkaline anion exchange membrane fuel cells.« less

A method of making a thermally-removable polyurethane material by heating a mixture of a maleimide compound and a furan compound, and introducing alcohol and isocyanate functional groups, where the alcohol group and the isocyanate group reacts to form the urethane linkages and the furan compound and the maleimide compound react to form the thermally weak Diels-Alder adducts that are incorporated into the backbone of the urethane linkages during the formation of the polyurethane material at temperatures from above room temperature to less than approximately 90.degree. C. The polyurethane material can be easilyremoved within approximately an hour by heating to temperatures greater than approximately 90.degree. C. in a polar solvent. The polyurethane material can be used in protecting electronic components that may require subsequent removal of the solid material for component repair, modification or quality control.

The cation-pi interaction between positively charged and aromatic groups is a common feature of many proteins and protein complexes. The structure of the complex between cytochrome c2 (cyt c2) and photosynthetic reaction center (RC) from Rhodobacter sphaeroides exhibits a cation-pi complex formed between Arg-C32 on cyt c2 and Tyr-M295 on the RC (Axelrod et. al (2002) J. Mol. Biol. 319, 501–515). The importance of the cation-pi interaction for binding and electron transfer was studied by mutating Tyr-M295 and Arg-C32. The first and second order rates for electron transfer were not affected by mutating Tyr-M295 to Ala indicating that the cation-pi complex does not greatly affect the association process or structure of the state active in electron transfer. The dissociation constant KD showed a greater increase when Try-M295 was replaced by non-aromatic Ala (3-fold) than by aromatic Phe (1.2-fold) characteristic of a cation-pi interaction. Replacement of Arg-C32 by Ala increased KD (80-fold) largely due to removal of electrostatic interactions with negatively charged residues on the RC. Replacement by Lys, increased KD (6-fold) indicating that Lys does not form a cation-pi complex. This specificity for Arg may be due to a solvation effect. Double mutant analysis indicates interaction energy between Tyr-M295 and Arg-C32 of about −24 meV (−0.6 kcal/mole). This energy is surprisingly small considering the widespread occurrence of cation-pi complexes and may be due to the trade-off between the favorable cation-pi binding energy and the unfavorable desolvation energy needed to bury Arg-C32 in the short-range contact region between the two proteins. PMID:16008347

5,6-Disubstituted phenanthridinium cations have a range of redox, fluorescence and biological properties. Some properties rely on phenanthridiniums intercalating into DNA, but the use of these cations as exomarkers for the reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide, and as inhibitors of acetylcholine esterase (AChE) do not require intercalation. A versatile modular synthesis of 5,6-disubstituted phenanthridiniums that introduces diversity by Suzuki–Miyaura coupling, imine formation and microwave-assisted cyclisation is presented. Computational modelling at the density functional theory (DFT) level reveals that the novel displacement of the aryl halide by an acyclic N-alkylimine proceeds by an SNAr mechanism rather than electrocyclisation. It is found that the displacement of halide is concerted and there is no stable Meisenheimer intermediate, provided the calculations consistently use a polarisable solvent model and a diffuse basis set. PMID:24677631

In vivo analyses have identified different functional types of ion channels in various plant tissues and cells. The Arabidopsis genome contains approximately 70 genes for ion channels, of which 57 might be cation-selective channels (K(+), Ca(2+) or poorly discriminating channels). Here, we describe the different families of (putative) cation channels: the Shakers, the two-P-domain and Kir K(+) channels (encoded by the KCO genes), the cyclic-nucleotide-gated channels, the glutamate receptors, and the Ca(2+) channel TPC1. We also compare molecular data with the data obtained in planta, which should lead to a better understanding of the identity of these channels and provide clues about their roles in plant nutrition and cell signalling.

A mechanism for metal cationization of phenyl group containing hydrocarbons is discussed. Intact molecules and their fragments are emitted from a thin organic layer covering a metal surface bombarded by fast ions. It is shown that the process of associative ionization of a neutral hydrocarbon molecule and a neutral excited metal atom, occurring above the surface, may contribute to the yield of cationized molecules. To demonstrate this we have calculated the potential energy curves for the model system C 6H 6+Me (Me=Ag, Cu, Au) making use of the density functional theory. The initial states of the metal atoms approaching the benzene ring along the C 6 symmetry axis were set as the ground, ionic, and excited in ( n-1)d 9ns 2 electronic configuration.

In ionic nanocrystals the cationic sublattice can be replaced with a different metal ion via a fast, simple, and reversible place exchange, allowing postsynthetic modification of the composition of the nanocrystal, while preserving its size and shape. Here, we demonstrate that, during such an exchange, the anionic framework of the crystal is preserved. When applied to nanoheterostructures, this phenomenon ensures that compositional interfaces within the heterostructure are conserved throughout the transformation. For instance, a morphology composed of a CdSe nanocrystal embedded in a CdS rod (CdSe/CdS) was exchanged to a PbSe/PbS nanorod via a Cu(2)Se/Cu(2)S structure. During every exchange cycle, the seed size and position within the nanorod were preserved, as evident by excitonic features, Z-contrast imaging, and elemental line scans. Anionic framework conservation extends the domain of cation exchange to the design of more complex and unique nanostructures.

This report is intended to fill in the blanks in NASA's file system for our lab astro study of molecular ions of astrophysical interest. In order to give NASA what it needs for its files, I attach below the text of the section from our recent proposal to continue this work, in which we describe progress to date, including a large number of publications. Our initial studies were focused on PAH cations, which appear to be viable candidates as the carriers of the DIBs, an idea that has been supported by laboratory spectroscopy of PAH cations in inert matrices. Beginning with the simplest aromatic (benzene; C6H6) and moving progressively to larger species (naphthalene, C10OH8; pyrene, C16H10; and most recently chrysene, C18H12), we have been able to derive rate coefficients for reactions with neutral spices that are abundant in the diffuse interstellar medium.

The preparation of a series of planar chiral, ferrocenyl-substituted hydrosilanes as precursors of ferrocene-stabilized silicon cations is described. These molecules also feature stereogenicity at the silicon atom. The generation and (29)Si NMR spectroscopic characterization of the corresponding silicon cations is reported, and problems arising from interactions of the electron-deficient silicon atom and adjacent C(sp(3))-H bonds or aromatic π donors are discussed. These issues are overcome by tethering another substituent at the silicon atom to the ferrocene backbone. The resulting annulation also imparts conformational rigidity and steric hindrance in such a way that the central chirality at the silicon atom is set with complete diastereocontrol. These chiral Lewis acid catalysts were then tested in difficult Diels-Alder reactions, but no enantioinduction was seen.

The predissociation spectrum of the cold, argon-tagged, 9-methylanthracenium radical cation is reported from 8000 cm-1 to 44 500 cm-1. The reported spectrum contains bands corresponding to at least eight electronic transitions ranging from the near infrared to the ultraviolet. These electronic transitions are assigned through comparison with ab initio energies and intensities. The infrared D1←D0 transitions exhibit significant vibronic activity, which is assigned through comparison with TD-B3LYP excited state frequencies and intensities, as well as modelled vibronic interactions. Dissociation of 9-methylanthracenium is also observed at high visible-photon energies, resulting in the loss of either CH2 or CH3. The relevance of these spectra, and the spectra of other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon radical cations, to the largely unassigned diffuse interstellar bands, is discussed.

Clinoptilolite- a natural zeolite has been investigated for the removal of heavy metals from the wastewaters. A pyrex-glass column of 30 mm diameter and 600 mm height was used. The column was filled with the conditioned clinoptilolite of 0.5-1 mm. In the first stage of the research, synthetic wastewater containing single cation 0.02 N and 0.04 N Cu and 0.02 N Fe and Zn solutions were passed through the column. Two liter of 0.02 N Cu and 750 ml of the 0.04 N Cu solution was treated with 100 percent removal efficiency. Clinoptilolite column was regenerated for the reuse when the removal efficiency decreased. The cation exchange capacities were calculated as 1.0663 and 1.5342 meq/g clinoptilolite for 0.02 N and 0.04 N Cu solutions, respectively. In the second stage of this research, the same procedure was repeated with the actual wastewater samples of the equalization and the neutralization tanks of the Telka-Rabak Electrolytic Copper Industry. A volume of 1811 ml of the wastewater of the equalization tank and 180 ml of the neutralization tank wastewater, which had high concentrations of Ni, Zn, Cu and Fe, was treated with 100 percent efficiency. The cation exchange capacities of clinoptilolite for the wastewater of the equalization and the neutralization tanks for Cu were 0.4483 and 0.4274, respectively. It was observed that only one third of the single copper ion solutions were obtained with the actual wastewater having competing ions such as Zn, Fe and Ni. The experimental results also indicate that the clinoptilolite is an effective cation exchanger for the removal of the metals from the wastewater and the removal efficiency is higher when there is not ant competing ions.

All living organisms require nutrient minerals for growth and have developed mechanisms to acquire, utilize, and store nutrient minerals effectively. In the aqueous cellular environment, these elements exist as charged ions that, together with protons and hydroxide ions, facilitate biochemical reactions and establish the electrochemical gradients across membranes that drive cellular processes such as transport and ATP synthesis. Metal ions serve as essential enzyme cofactors and perform both structural and signaling roles within cells. However, because these ions can also be toxic, cells have developed sophisticated homeostatic mechanisms to regulate their levels and avoid toxicity. Studies in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have characterized many of the gene products and processes responsible for acquiring, utilizing, storing, and regulating levels of these ions. Findings in this model organism have often allowed the corresponding machinery in humans to be identified and have provided insights into diseases that result from defects in ion homeostasis. This review summarizes our current understanding of how cation balance is achieved and modulated in baker’s yeast. Control of intracellular pH is discussed, as well as uptake, storage, and efflux mechanisms for the alkali metal cations, Na+ and K+, the divalent cations, Ca2+ and Mg2+, and the trace metal ions, Fe2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, and Mn2+. Signal transduction pathways that are regulated by pH and Ca2+ are reviewed, as well as the mechanisms that allow cells to maintain appropriate intracellular cation concentrations when challenged by extreme conditions, i.e., either limited availability or toxic levels in the environment. PMID:23463800

The interactions between silica and some molecules which have a high affinity for its surface have been studied. The hydrophobic properties and the positive charge of these molecules are likely to be responsible for their strong adsorption on to silica. These observations should be useful in research into new inhibitors of the effects of silica. One of the cations tested, chloroquine, has been shown to be an effective inhibitor of the haemolytic activity of quartz. PMID:204326

An extractant medium for extracting alkaline earth cations from an aqueous acidic sample solution is described as are a method and apparatus for using the same. The separation medium is free of diluent, free-flowing and particulate, and comprises a Crown ether that is a 4,4'(5')[C.sub.4 -C.sub.8 -alkylcyclohexano]18-Crown-6 dispersed on an inert substrate material.

The effects of buffer and ionic strength upon the enthalpy of binding between plasmid DNA and a variety of cationic lipids used to enhance cellular transfection were studied using isothermal titration calorimetry at 25.0 degrees C and pH 7.4. The cationic lipids DOTAP (1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethyl ammonium propane), DDAB (dimethyl dioctadecyl ammonium bromide), DOTAP:cholesterol (1:1), and DDAB:cholesterol (1:1) bound endothermally to plasmid DNA with a negligible proton exchange with buffer. In contrast, DOTAP: DOPE (L-alpha-dioleoyl phosphatidyl ethanolamine) (1:1) and DDAB:DOPE (1:1) liposomes displayed a negative enthalpy and a significant uptake of protons upon binding to plasmid DNA at neutral pH. These findings are most easily explained by a change in the apparent pKa of the amino group of DOPE upon binding. Complexes formed by reverse addition methods (DNA into lipid) produced different thermograms, sizes, zeta potentials, and aggregation behavior, suggesting that structurally different complexes were formed in each titration direction. Titrations performed in both directions in the presence of increasing ionic strength revealed a progressive decrease in the heat of binding and an increase in the lipid to DNA charge ratio at which aggregation occurred. The unfavorable binding enthalpy for the cationic lipids alone and with cholesterol implies an entropy-driven interaction, while the negative enthalpies observed with DOPE-containing lipid mixtures suggest an additional contribution from changes in protonation of DOPE.

Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) are colloidal drug and/or gene carriers developed from solid lipids and surfactants that are considered safe. Cationic SLN, usually used for formulating poorly water-soluble drugs and for gene delivery purposes, as positively charged particles may attach to cellular surfaces and be internalized more easily than negatively charged SLN, but they can also cause damage. The main aim of this work was to test a set of cationic SLN and investigate its influence on the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS), on antioxidant enzymes activities and on possible oxidative damage to membrane lipids in HepG2 cells. The Dichlorofluorescein assay revealed great increase in ROS presence after cell exposure to SLN. While the exposure to SLN increased the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase it decreased glutathione reductase activity. Although no significant increase in thiobarbituric reactive species was found, a decrease in sulfhydryl groups was detected. These results indicate that cationic SLN caused oxidative stress in HepG2 cells, but under reported exposure conditions HepG2 cells could attenuate the stress and thus the damage to cellular components was minimal.

The behavior of small inorganic particles at the fiber/water interface has been analyzed from the kinetics and isotherms of adsorption of CaCO3 particles onto cationic fibers. The introduction of cationic moieties onto cellulosic fibers leads to a copolymer that can easily adsorb negatively charged particles. At equilibrium, the adsorption ratio of CaCO3 particles on a cationic copolymer of cellulose and poly(2-acryloxyethyltrimethylammonium chloride) is related closely to the particle size, the temperature, the agitation, and the ionic strength of the suspension. Kinetic models have shown that the weakly charged copolymers present a high-affinity-type kinetics when the CaCO3 particle average diameter is small (20 to 30 μm). For an average particle diameter equal to 72 μm, the kinetics corresponds to an adsorption with a lower affinity. The rate constants are 6.6 x 10(-12), 2.9 x 10(-12), and 1.2 x 10(-12) m3/s for particles with average diameters of 20, 30, and 72 μm, respectively. We have also noted that the adsorption increases with agitation and reaches a plateau after 5 min. The ionic strength influences the electrostatic interactions between the positive sites of the graft and the anion of the adsorbate. Indeed a decreasing adsorption is observed when the ionic strength increases.

Since the times of the Bible, an extract of black cumin seeds was used as a medicine to treat many human pathologies. Thymoquinone (2-demethylplastoquinone derivative) was identified as an active antioxidant component of this extract. Recently, it was shown that conjugates of plastoquinone and penetrating cations are potent mitochondria-targeted antioxidants effective in treating a large number of age-related pathologies. This review summarizes new data on the antioxidant and some other properties of membrane-penetrating cationic compounds where 2-demethylplastoquinone substitutes for plastoquinone. It was found that such a substitution significantly increases a window between anti- and prooxidant concentrations of the conjugates. Like the original plastoquinone derivatives, the novel compounds are easily reduced by the respiratory chain, penetrate through model and natural membranes, specifically accumulate in mitochondria in an electrophoretic fashion, and strongly inhibit H2O2-induced apoptosis at pico- and nanomolar concentrations in cell cultures. At present, cationic demethylplastoquinone derivatives appear to be the most promising mitochondria-targeted drugs of the quinone series.

Activated sludge systems designed for enhanced nutrient removal are based on the principle of altering anaerobic and aerobic conditions for growth of microorganisms with a high capacity of phosphorus accumulation. Most often, filamentous bacteria constitute a component of the activated sludge microflora. The filamentous microorganisms are responsible for foam formation and activated sludge bulking. The results obtained confirm unanimously that the filamentous bacteria have the ability of phosphorus uptake and accumulation as polyphosphates. Hydrodynamic disintegration of the foam microorganisms results in the transfer of phosphorus and metal cations and ammonium-nitrogen into the liquid phase. It was demonstrated that the disintegration of foam permits the removal of a portion of the nutrients in the form of struvite.

We studied cation exchange reactions in colloidal Cu(2-x)Se nanocrystals (NCs) involving the replacement of Cu(+) cations with either Sn(2+) or Sn(4+) cations. This is a model system in several aspects: first, the +2 and +4 oxidation states for tin are relatively stable; in addition, the phase of the Cu(2-x)Se NCs remains cubic regardless of the degree of copper deficiency (that is, "x") in the NC lattice. Also, Sn(4+) ions are comparable in size to the Cu(+) ions, while Sn(2+) ones are much larger. We show here that the valency of the entering Sn ions dictates the structure and composition not only of the final products but also of the intermediate steps of the exchange. When Sn(4+) cations are used, alloyed Cu(2-4y)Sn(y)Se NCs (with y ≤ 0.33) are formed as intermediates, with almost no distortion of the anion framework, apart from a small contraction. In this exchange reaction the final stoichiometry of the NCs cannot go beyond Cu0.66Sn0.33Se (that is Cu2SnSe3), as any further replacement of Cu(+) cations with Sn(4+) cations would require a drastic reorganization of the anion framework, which is not possible at the reaction conditions of the experiments. When instead Sn(2+) cations are employed, SnSe NCs are formed, mostly in the orthorhombic phase, with significant, albeit not drastic, distortion of the anion framework. Intermediate steps in this exchange reaction are represented by Janus-type Cu(2-x)Se/SnSe heterostructures, with no Cu-Sn-Se alloys.

We studied cation exchange reactions in colloidal Cu2-xSe nanocrystals (NCs) involving the replacement of Cu+ cations with either Sn2+ or Sn4+ cations. This is a model system in several aspects: first, the +2 and +4 oxidation states for tin are relatively stable; in addition, the phase of the Cu2-xSe NCs remains cubic regardless of the degree of copper deficiency (that is, “x”) in the NC lattice. Also, Sn4+ ions are comparable in size to the Cu+ ions, while Sn2+ ones are much larger. We show here that the valency of the entering Sn ions dictates the structure and composition not only of the final products but also of the intermediate steps of the exchange. When Sn4+ cations are used, alloyed Cu2–4ySnySe NCs (with y ≤ 0.33) are formed as intermediates, with almost no distortion of the anion framework, apart from a small contraction. In this exchange reaction the final stoichiometry of the NCs cannot go beyond Cu0.66Sn0.33Se (that is Cu2SnSe3), as any further replacement of Cu+ cations with Sn4+ cations would require a drastic reorganization of the anion framework, which is not possible at the reaction conditions of the experiments. When instead Sn2+ cations are employed, SnSe NCs are formed, mostly in the orthorhombic phase, with significant, albeit not drastic, distortion of the anion framework. Intermediate steps in this exchange reaction are represented by Janus-type Cu2-xSe/SnSe heterostructures, with no Cu–Sn–Se alloys. PMID:25340627

One of the main challenges of gene therapy remains the increase of gene delivery into eukaryotic cells. We tested whether intracellular DNA release, an essential step for gene transfer, could be facilitated by using reducible cationic DNA-delivery vectors. For this purpose, plasmid DNA was complexed with cationic lipids bearing a disulphide bond. This reduction-sensitive linker is expected to be reduced and cleaved in the reducing milieu of the cytoplasm, thus potentially improving DNA release and consequently transfection. The DNA--disulphide-lipid complexation was monitored by ethidium bromide exclusion, and the size of complexes was determined by dynamic light scattering. It was found that the reduction kinetics of disulphide groups in DNA--lipid complexes depended on the position of the disulphide linker within the lipid molecule. Furthermore, the internal structure of DNA--lipid particles was examined by small-angle X-ray scattering before and after lipid reduction. DNA release from lipid complexes was observed after the reduction of disulphide bonds of several lipids. Cell-transfection experiments suggested that complexes formed with selected reducible lipids resulted in up to 1000-fold higher reporter-gene activity, when compared with their analogues without disulphide bonds. In conclusion, reduction-sensitive groups introduced into cationic lipid backbones potentially allow enhanced DNA release from DNA--lipid complexes after intracellular reduction and represent a tool for improved vectorization. PMID:11389682

One of the main challenges of gene therapy remains the increase of gene delivery into eukaryotic cells. We tested whether intracellular DNA release, an essential step for gene transfer, could be facilitated by using reducible cationic DNA-delivery vectors. For this purpose, plasmid DNA was complexed with cationic lipids bearing a disulphide bond. This reduction-sensitive linker is expected to be reduced and cleaved in the reducing milieu of the cytoplasm, thus potentially improving DNA release and consequently transfection. The DNA--disulphide-lipid complexation was monitored by ethidium bromide exclusion, and the size of complexes was determined by dynamic light scattering. It was found that the reduction kinetics of disulphide groups in DNA--lipid complexes depended on the position of the disulphide linker within the lipid molecule. Furthermore, the internal structure of DNA--lipid particles was examined by small-angle X-ray scattering before and after lipid reduction. DNA release from lipid complexes was observed after the reduction of disulphide bonds of several lipids. Cell-transfection experiments suggested that complexes formed with selected reducible lipids resulted in up to 1000-fold higher reporter-gene activity, when compared with their analogues without disulphide bonds. In conclusion, reduction-sensitive groups introduced into cationic lipid backbones potentially allow enhanced DNA release from DNA--lipid complexes after intracellular reduction and represent a tool for improved vectorization.

The alkali ions present in the supercages of zeolites X and Y interact with included guest molecules through quadrupolar (cation-pi), and dipolar (cation-carbonyl) interactions. The presence of such interactions can be inferred through solid-state NMR spectra of the guest molecules. Alkali ions, as illustrated in this article, can be exploited to control the photochemical and photophysical behaviors of the guest molecules. For example, molecules that rarely phosphoresce can be induced to do so within heavy cation-exchanged zeolites. The nature (electronic configuration) of the lowest triplet state of carbonyl compounds can be altered with the help of light alkali metal ions. This state switch (n pi*-pi pi*) helps to bring out reactivity that normally remains dormant. Selectivity obtained during the singlet oxygen oxidation of olefins within zeolites illustrates the remarkable control that can be exerted on photoreactions with the help of a confined medium that also has active sites. The reaction cavities of zeolites, like enzymes, are not only well-defined and confined, but also have active sites that closely guide the reactant molecule from start to finish. The examples provided here illustrate that zeolites are far more useful than simple shape-selective catalysts.

The complete set of Faber-Ziman partial pair distribution functions for a rare earth oxide liquid were measured for the first time by combining aerodynamic levitation, neutron diffraction, high energy x-ray diffraction and isomorphic substitution using Y2 O3 and Ho2 O3 melts. The average Y- O coordination is measured to be 5.5(2), which is significantly less than the octahedral coordination of crystalline Y2 O3 (or Ho2 O3 ). Investigation of high temperature La2 O3 , ZrO2 , SiO2 , and Al2 O3 melts by x-ray diffraction and molecular dynamics simulations also show lower-than-crystal cation- oxygen coordination. These measurements suggest a general trend towards lower M-O coordination compared to their crystalline counterparts. It is found that this coordination number drop is larger for lower field strength, larger radius cations and is negligible for high field strength (network forming) cations. These findings have broad implications for predicting the local structure and related physical properties of metal-oxide melts and oxide glasses.

Organophosphorus compounds (OPs) are widely used in agriculture and industry and there is increased concern about their toxicological effects in the environment. Bioremediation can offer an efficient and cost-effective option for the removal of OPs. Herein, we describe the construction of a genetically engineered microorganism (GEM) that can degrade OPs and be directly detected and monitored in the environment using an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) fusion strategy. The coding regions of EGFP, a reporter protein that can fluoresce by itself, and organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH), which has a broad substrate specificity and is able to hydrolyse a number of organophosphorus pesticides, were cloned into the expression vector pET-28b. The fusion protein of EGFP-OPH was expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) and the protein expression reached the highest level at 11 h after isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside induction. The fluorescence of the GEM was detected by fluorescence spectrophotometry and microscopy, and its ability to degrade OPs was determined by OPH activity assay. Those GEM that express the fusion protein (EGFP and OPH) exhibited strong fluorescence intensity and also potent hydrolase activity, which could be used to degrade organophosphorus pesticide residues in the environment and can also be directly monitored by fluorescence.

Background and aims: Plant nutrient uptake is affected by environmental stress, but how plants respond to cation nutrient stress is poorly understood. We assessed the impact of varying degrees of cation-nutrient stress on cation uptake in an experimental plant-mineral system. Methods: Column experim...

Considering the enormous turnover rates of ion channels when compared to carriers it is quite obvious that channel-mediated ion transport may serve as a rapid and efficient mechanism of cell volume regulation. Whenever studied in a quantitative fashion the hypertonic activation of non-selective cation channels is found to be the main mechanism of regulatory volume increase (RVI). Some channels are inhibited by amiloride (and may be related to the ENaC), others are blocked by Gd(3) and flufenamate (and possibly linked to the group of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels). Nevertheless, the actual architecture of hypertonicity-induced cation channels remains to be defined. In some preparations, hypertonic stress decreases K(+) channel activity so reducing the continuous K(+) leak out of the cell; this is equivalent to a net gain of cell osmolytes facilitating RVI. The hypotonic activation of K(+) selective channels appears to be one of the most common principles of regulatory volume decrease (RVD) and, in most instances, the actual channels involved could be identified on the molecular level. These are BKCa (or maxi K(+)) channels, IK(Ca) and SK(Ca) channels (of intermediate and small conductance, respectively), the group of voltage-gated (Kv) channels including their Beta (or Kv ancilliary) subunits, two-pore K(2P) channels, as well as inwardly rectifying K(+) (Kir) channels (also contributing to K(ATP) channels). In some cells, hypotonicity activates non-selective cation channels. This is surprising, at first sight, because of the inside negative membrane voltage and the sum of driving forces for Na(+) and K(+) diffusion across the cell membrane rather favouring net cation uptake. Some of these channels, however, exhibit a P(K)/P(Na) significantly higher than 1, whereas others are Ca(++) permeable linking hypotonic stress to the activation of Ca(++) dependent ion channels. In particular, the latter holds for the group of TRPs which are specialised in the

The presence of alkali cations in electrolyte solutions is known to impact the rate of electrocatalytic reactions, though the mechanism of such impact is not conclusively determined. We use density functional theory (DFT) to examine the specific adsorption of alkali cations to fcc(111) electrode surfaces, as specific adsorption may block catalyst sites or otherwise impact surface catalytic chemistry. Solvation of the cation-metal surface structure was investigated using explicit water models. Computed equilibrium potentials for alkali cation adsorption suggest that alkali and alkaline earth cations will specifically adsorb onto Pt(111) and Pd(111) surfaces in the potential range of hydrogen oxidation and hydrogen evolution catalysis in alkaline solutions.

A process for removing phenols from an aqueous solution is provided, which comprises the steps of contacting a mixture comprising the solution and a metal oxide, forming a phenol metal oxide complex, and removing the complex from the mixture.

An apparatus for removing debris from a turbomachine. The apparatus includes housing and remotely operable viewing and grappling mechanisms for the purpose of locating and removing debris lodged between adjacent blades in a turbomachine.

Wart removers are medicines used to get rid of warts. Warts are small growths on the skin that are caused by a virus. They are usually painless. Wart remover poisoning occurs when someone swallows or uses ...

Biochar was produced from Korean cabbage (KC), rice straw (RS) and wood chip (WC) and the use as alternative adsorbents to activated carbon (AC) in wastewater treatment was investigated. Congo red (CR) and crystal violet (CV) were used as a model anionic and cationic dye, respectively. Initial solution pH had little effect on CR and CV adsorption onto all biochars except for AC on CR. The isotherm models and kinetic data showed that adsorption of CR and CV onto all biochars were dominantly by chemisorption. All biochars had lower adsorption capacity for CR than AC. KC showed higher Langmuir maximum adsorption capacity (1304mg/g) than AC (271.0mg/g), RS (620.3mg/g) and WC (195.6mg/g) for CV. KC may be a good alternative to conventional AC as cheap, superb and industrially viable adsorbent for removal of cationic dyes in wastewater.

A novel flocculant (CATCS) based on corn starch and chitosan was prepared and its flocculation behaviors were studied. The synthesis conditions of CATCS were discussed and the production obtained was characterized using Fourier infrared spectra and scanning electron microscopy. Flocculation properties of the products were evaluated in terms of transmittance, removal of organic contaminant and solid suspending substances. Influences of temperature, pH and flocculant dosage on flocculation efficiency of CATCS were examined. CATCS had better flocculation performance at lower temperature for the wastewater investigated. CATCS showed better flocculation performance than cationic starch and chitosan in 5 g/L kaolin suspension trended to performance well in acidic and alkaline solution. The comparison of the flocculation performance between CATCS, Fe2(SO4)3 and polyacrylamide showed CATCS had much efficient flocculation performance. In addition, cationic starch was prepared from corn starch using microwave-assisted method.

The directive contains general policy guidelines regarding removal program priorities as it specifically relates to the 10 regional offices. Emphasis is placed on addressing the most serious public health and environmental threats (classic emergencies, time-critical removals at NPL sites, and time-critical removals at non-NPL sites). Regions are urged to pursue cleanup by the responsible parties (RP) and manage the removal program within the boundaries of their resources.

Glasses removal is an important task on face recognition, in this paper, we provide a weakly supervised method to remove eyeglasses from an input face image automatically. We choose sparse coding as face reconstruction method, and optical flow to find exact shape of glasses. We combine the two processes iteratively to remove glasses more accurately. The experimental results reveal that our method works much better than these algorithms alone, and it can remove various glasses to obtain natural looking glassless facial images.

The cation/proton antiporter superfamily is associated with the transport of monovalent cations across membranes. This superfamily was annotated in the Arabidopsis genome and some members were functionally characterized. In the present study, a systematic analysis of the cation/proton antiporter genes in diverse plant specieswas reported.We identified 240 cation/proton antiporters in alga, moss, and angiosperm. A phylogenetic tree was constructed showing these 240members are separated into three families, i.e., Na+/H+ exchangers, K+ efflux antiporters, and cation/H+ exchangers. Our analysis revealed that tandem and/or segmental duplications contribute to the expansion of cation/H+ exchangers in the examined angiospermspecies. Sliding windowanalysis of the nonsynonymous/synonymous substitution ratios showed some differences in the evolutionary fate of cation/proton antiporter paralogs. Furthermore, we identified over-represented motifs among these 240 proteins and foundmostmotifs are family specific, demonstrating diverse evolution of the cation/proton antiporters among three families. In addition, we investigated the co-expressed genes of the cation/proton antiporters in Arabidopsis thaliana. The results showed some biological processes are enriched in the co-expressed genes, suggesting the cation/proton antiporters may be involved in these biological processes. Taken together, this study furthers our knowledge on cation/proton antiporters in plants.

technology. Anyone (included farmers, technicians or who work at Civil Protection) who has a good smartphone can take photographs and, from these photographs, they can easily obtain high-resolution DSMs. Therefore, SfM technique accomplished with smartphones can be a very strategic tool for post-event field surveys, to increase the existing knowledge on such events, and to provide fast technical solutions for risk mitigation (e.g. landslide and flood risk management). The future challenge consists of using only a smartphone for local scale post-event analyses. This can be even enhanced by the development of specific apps that are able to build quickly a 3D view of the case study and arrange a preliminary quantitative analysis of the process involved, ready to be sent to Civil Protection for further elaborations. Tarolli, P. (2014). High-resolution topography for understanding Earth surface processes: opportunities and challenges. Geomorphology, 216, 295-312, doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2014.03.008.

Several recent technological advances have increased the practicality and usefulness of the technique of electron microscopy of wet objects. (i) There have been gains in the effective penetration of high-voltage microscopes, scanning transmission microscopes, and high-voltage scanning microscopes. The extra effective penetration gives more scope for obtaining good images through film windows, gas, and liquid layers. (ii) Improved methods of obtaining contrast are available (especially dark field and inelastic filtering) that often make it possible to obtain sufficient contrast with wet unstained objects. (iii) Improved environmental chamber design makes it possible to insert and examine wet specimens as easily as dry specimens. The ultimate achievable resolution for wet objects in an environmental chamber will gradually become clear experimentally. Resolution is mainly a function of gas path, liquid and wet specimen thickness, specimen stage stability, acceleration voltage, and image mode (fixed or scanning beam) (13). Much depends on the development of the technique for controlling the thickness of extraneous water film around wet objects or the technique for depositing wet objects onto dry, hydrophobic support films. Although some loss of resolution due to water or gas scattering will always occur, an effective gain is anticipated in preserving the shape of individual molecules and preventing the partial collapse that usually occurs on drying or negative staining. The most basic question for biological electron microscopy is probably whether any living functions of cells can be observed so that the capabilities of the phase contrast and interference light microscopes can be extended. Investigators are now rapidly approaching a final answer to this question. The two limiting factors are (i) maintaining cell motility in spread cells immersed in thin layers of media and (ii) reducing beam radiation damage to an acceptable level. The use of sensitive emulsions and

Free-living amoebae (FLA) are ubiquitous protozoan that are predominantly harmless to humans. There are a few genera that cause disease in humans, Balamuthia, Naegleria, and Acanthamoeba. These organisms are not easilyremoved by physical means or inactivated by chemic...

Presentation will discuss the state-of-art technology for removal of arsenic from drinking water. Presentation includes results of several EPA field studies on removal of arsenic from existing arsenic removal plants and key results from several EPA sponsored research studies. T...

Catalytic mechanism of cationic red GTL at wide pH using the Mo-Zn-Al-O nanocatalyst under room conditions was investigated. The experimental results indicate that initial pH significantly affected the removal of cationic red GTL, the removal of COD, the pH value and residual oxygen in the reaction. In the range of pH value from 4 to 10, decolorization of cationic red GTL was almost above 90%. COD removal efficiency was enhanced with the decrease of pH in CWAO process and 79% of the COD was removed at pH 4.0, whereas only 57% COD removal was observed at pH 10.0. The terminal pH was in the range of 5.0-6.0 and the highest terminal concentrations of aqueous oxygen with 5.5 mg/L were observed at pH = 4.0. The radical inhibition experiments also carried out and the generation of *OH and 1O2 in catalytic wet air oxidation process were detected. It was found that the degradation of cationic red GTL occurs mainly via oxidation by 1O2 radical generated by Mo-Zn-Al-O nanocatalyst under acid conditions and *OH radical under alkaline conditions.

The cationic-anionic mediated charge compensation effect was studied in the layered perovskite La2Ti2O7 for the visible light photocatalysis. Our screened hybrid density functional study shows that the electronic structure of La2Ti2O7 can be tuned by the cationic (V, Nb, Ta)/anionic (N) mono- and co-doping. Such mono-doping creates impurity states in the band gap which helps the electron-hole recombination. But if the charge compensation is made by the cationic-anionic mediated co-doping then such impurity states can be removed and can be a promising strategy for visible light photocatalysis. The absolute band edge position of the doped La2Ti2O7 has been aligned with respect to the water oxidation/reduction potential. The calculated defect formation energy shows the stability of the co-doping system is improved due to the coulomb interactions and charge compensations effect.

Controllable doping is an effective way of tuning the properties of semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs). In this work, a simple strategy of fast doping Cu ions into ZnSe NCs under ambient conditions was proposed. The principle of doping is based on hydrazine (N2H4) promoted cation exchange reaction. By direct addition of Cu ion stock solution into the preformed ZnSe NCs, Cu doped ZnSe NCs can be obtained. Furthermore, the emission of doped NCs can be tuned by changing the amount of impurity ion addition. The cation exchange reaction is facilitated by three factors: 1) N2H4 addition, 2) fast impurity ions, and 3) partial stabilizer removal. The proposed cation exchange reaction in aqueous solution could be an alternate route for NC doping as well as synthesis of ionic NCs.

Predicting the chemical changes that result from excavating a repository below the groundwater table in granitic terrain is a major focus of the SKB geochemistry program. The modeling study presented here demonstrates that cation exchange can play a major role in controlling the fluid chemistry that results when groundwaters of differing composition mix due to flow induced by excavation of the HRL tunnel. The major goal of this study was to assess whether an equilibrium cation exchange model could explain the composition of groundwater sampled from boreholes in the HRL tunnel. Given the consistency of the cation exchange hypothesis with observations, geochemical modeling was used to assess whether the quantity of exchanger necessary to match model results and observation was physically reasonable. The impact of mineral dissolution and precipitation on fluid chemistry was also evaluated. Finally, the compositions of exchanger phases expected to be in equilibrium with various Aespoe groundwaters were predicted.

This study concerns cationic exchanges performed in order to remove ammonium and potassium cations from manure by using various zeolites: clinoptilolite, chabazite and NaX faujasite. First, the effect of temperature (25 °C and 40 °C) on the exchange rate between zeolites and an ammonium chloride solution was investigated. Then, cationic exchanges were performed on these three zeolites using on one side a mixed ammonium and potassium chloride solution reproducing the chemical composition of a swine manure and on the other side the corresponding liquid manure. No significant difference was observed on the exchange rate and the trapping of ammonium cations by changing the temperature (25 or 40 °C). Clinoptilolite showed a good selectivity towards ammonium cations using model (NH4Cl, and mixed NH4Cl/KCl) solutions but is less efficient with the liquid manure. Chabazite and faujasite were found more efficient than clinoptilolite for trapping ammonium cations. However, NaX faujasite enables trapping 3 times more ammonium cations than chabazite from manure (60 and 20 mg/g, respectively). Moreover, chabazite allowed to trap the same amount of potassium cations than NaX faujasite (33 and 35 mg/g, respectively).

Wines (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Merlot) were made by a commercial winery to examine the effects of seed removal at ~10 °Brix on the extraction of proanthocyanidins during fermentation. Seeds were removed at the point when they fell to the bottom of the fermentor, and were thus easilyremoved during reg...

Graphitic packing removal tools for removal of the seal rings in one piece. he packing removal tool has a cylindrical base ring the same size as the packing ring with a surface finish, perforations, knurling or threads for adhesion to the seal ring. Elongated leg shanks are mounted axially along the circumferential center. A slit or slits permit insertion around shafts. A removal tool follower stabilizes the upper portion of the legs to allow a spanner wrench to be used for insertion and removal.

Graphitic packing removal tools for removal of the seal rings in one piece are disclosed. The packing removal tool has a cylindrical base ring the same size as the packing ring with a surface finish, perforations, knurling or threads for adhesion to the seal ring. Elongated leg shanks are mounted axially along the circumferential center. A slit or slits permit insertion around shafts. A removal tool follower stabilizes the upper portion of the legs to allow a spanner wrench to be used for insertion and removal. 5 figs.

Graphitic packing removal tools are described for removal of the seal rings in one piece from valves and pumps. The packing removal tool has a cylindrical base ring the same size as the packing ring with a surface finish, perforations, knurling or threads for adhesion to the seal ring. Elongated leg shanks are mounted axially along the circumferential center. A slit or slits permit insertion around shafts. A removal tool follower stabilizes the upper portion of the legs to allow a spanner wrench to be used for insertion and removal.

Through the study of substituted anilines and benzylamines, we demonstrated that cooperative cation-π, π-π, and van der Waals interactions can increase aromatic cationic amine sorption to Na/Ca-montmorillonite well beyond the extent expected by cation exchange alone. Cationic amines exhibiting cooperative interactions displayed nonlinear S-shaped isotherms and increased affinity for the sorbent at low surface coverage; parallel cation exchange and cooperative interactions were noted above a sorption threshold of 0.3-2.3% of exchange sites occupied. Our experiments revealed the predominance of intermolecular cation-π interactions, which occurred between the π system of a compound retained on the surface via cation exchange and the cationic amine group of an adjacent molecule. Compounds with greater amine charge/area and electron-donating substituents that allowed for greater electron density at the center of the aromatic ring showed a greater potential for cation-π interactions on montmorillonite surfaces. However, benzylamine sorption to nine soils, at charge loadings comparable to the experiments with montmorillonite, revealed no significant cooperative interactions. It appears that cation-π interactions may be likely in soils with exceptionally high cation exchange capacities (>0.7 mol charge/kg) and low organic matter contents, abundant in montmorillonite and other expanding clay minerals.

Magnetic nanomaterials that can be easily separated and recycled due to their magnetic properties have received considerable attention in the field of water treatment. However, these nanomaterials usually tend to aggregate and alter their properties. Herein, we report an economical and environmentally friendly method for the synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles with core-shell structure. MnFe2O4 nanoparticles have been successfully coated with amorphous Mn-Co oxide shells. The synthesized MnFe2O4@Mn-Co oxide nanoparticles have highly negatively charged surface in aqueous solution over a wide pH range, thus preventing their aggregation and enhancing their performance for heavy metal cationremoval. The adsorption isotherms are well fitted to a Langmuir adsorption model, and the maximal adsorption capacities of Pb(II), Cu(II) and Cd(II) on MnFe2O4@Mn-Co oxide are 481.2, 386.2 and 345.5 mg g(-1), respectively. All the metal ions can be completely removed from the mixed metal ion solutions in a short time. Desorption studies confirm that the adsorbent can be effectively regenerated and reused.

Methods which disperse single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in water as ‘debundled’, while maintaining their unique physical properties are highly useful. We present here a family of cationic cholesterol compounds (Chol+) {Cholest-5en-3β-oxyethyl pyridinium bromide (Chol-PB+), Cholest-5en-3β-oxyethyl N-methyl pyrrolidinium bromide (Chol-MPB+), Cholest-5en-3β-oxyethyl N-methyl morpholinium bromide (Chol-MMB+) and Cholest-5en-3β-oxyethyl diazabicyclo octanium bromide (Chol-DOB+)}. Each of these could be easily dispersed in water. The resulting cationic cholesterol (Chol+) suspensions solubilized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) by the non-specific physical adsorption of Chol+ to form stable, transparent, dark aqueous suspensions at room temperature. Electron microscopy reveals the existence of highly segregated CNTs in these samples. Zeta potential measurements showed an increase in potential of cationic cholesterol aggregates on addition of CNTs. The CNT-Chol+ suspensions were capable of forming stable complexes with genes (DNA) efficiently. The release of double-helical DNA from such CNT-Chol+ complexes could be induced upon the addition of anionic micellar solution of SDS. Furthermore, the CNT-based DNA complexes containing cationic cholesterol aggregates showed higher stability in fetal bovine serum media at physiological conditions. Confocal studies confirm that CNT-Chol+ formulations adhere to HeLa cell surfaces and get internalized more efficiently than the cationic cholesterol suspensions alone (devoid of any CNTs). These cationic cholesterol-CNT suspensions therefore appear to be a promising system for further use in biological applications.

Surfaces of Wyoming SWy-2-Na-montmorillonite were modified using ultrasonic and hydrothermal methods through the intercalation and adsorption of the cationic surfactant octadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (ODTMA). Changes in the surfaces and structure were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal analysis (TG), and electron microscopy. The ultrasonic preparation method results in a higher surfactant concentration within the montmorillonite interlayer when compared with that from the hydrothermal method. Three different molecular environments for surfactants within the surface-modified montmorillonite are proposed upon the basis of their different decomposition temperatures. Both XRD patterns and TEM images demonstrate that SWy-2-Na-montmorillonite contains superlayers. TEM images of organoclays prepared at high surfactant concentrations show alternate basal spacings between neighboring layers. SEM images show that modification with surfactant reduces the clay particle size and aggregation. Organoclays prepared at low surfactant concentration display curved flakes, whereas they become flat with increasing intercalated surfactant. Novel surfactant-modified montmorillonite results in the formation of new nanophases with the potential for the removal of organic impurities from aqueous media.

Diquite (D) and bentonite (B) mineral samples from the Amazon region, Brazil, were modified by MTTZ derivative (5-mercapto-1-methyltetrazole) using heterogeneous route. These materials were characterized by textural and elemental analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), power X-ray diffraction and (13)C NMR spectroscopy. The chemically modified clay (D(MTTZ) and B(MTTZ)) samples showed modification of its physical-chemical properties including: specific area 41.4 (B) to 398.5m(2)g(-1) (B(MTTZ)) and 25.0 (D) to 178.8m(2)g(-1) (D(MTTZ)). The adsorption experiments performed under batch process with Th(IV) concentration, pH and contact time as variables. The ability of these materials to remove thorium from aqueous solution was followed by a series of adsorption isotherms adjusted to a Sips equation at room temperature and pH 2.0, with variable concentration of Th(IV). The maximum number of moles adsorbed was determined to be 10.45 x 10(-2) and 12.76 x 10(-2)mmol g(-1) for D(MTTZ) and B(MTTZ), respectively. The energetic effects (Delta(int)H degrees , Delta(int)G degrees and Delta(int)S degrees ) caused by thorium cation adsorption were determined through calorimetric titrations.

We investigate pathways for fragmentation in the uracil radical cation using ab initio electronic structure calculations. We focus on the main fragments produced in pump–probe dissociative ionization experiments. These are fragments with mass to charge ratios (m/z) of 69, 28, 41, and 42. Barriers to dissociation along the ground ionic surface are reported, which provide an estimate of the energetic requirements for the production of the main fragments. Finally, direct and sequential fragmentation mechanisms have been analyzed, and it is concluded that sequential fragmentation after production of fragment with m/z 69 is the dominant mechanism for the production of the smaller fragments.

A cationic nanocrystal formulation containing dexamethasone acetate nanocrystals (0.05%) and polymyxin B (0.10%) for ophthalmic application was produced using a self-developed small scale method for wet bead milling. The formulation developed offers the advantage of increased saturation solubility of the drug (due to the nano-size of the crystals) and increased residence time in the eye (due to small size and increased mucoadhesion by the cationic charge) resulting ultimately in potential increased bioavailability. Characterization of the nanosuspensions by photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) and transmission electron microscopy showed that the production method was successful in achieving dexamethasone crystals in the range of about 200-250nm. The physical stabilization of the nanocrystals and generation of the positive charge were realized by using cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) and benzalkonium chloride (BAC) at the concentration of 0.01%. In contrast to other cationic excipients, they are regulatorily accepted due to their use as preservatives. The drug polymyxin B also contributed to the positive charge. Positive zeta potentials in the range +20 to +30mV were achieved. Isotonicity was adjusted using NaCl and non-ionic excipients (glycerol, sorbitol, dextrose). Physical and chemical stabilities were monitored for a period of 6months at room temperature, 5°C and 40°C. Particle size of the bulk population assessed by PCS remained practically unchanged over 6months of storage for the various formulations without isotonicity agents, and for the CPC-containing formulations with non-ionic isotonicity excipients. The chemical content also proved stable after 6months for all 3 temperatures evaluated. In vitro investigation of mucoadhesion was tested using mucin solutions at different concentrations, and the generated negative zeta potential was used as a measure of the interaction. The zeta potential reversed to about -15mV, indicating distinct interaction. The

The degenerate rearrangement in the 21-homododecahedryl cation (1) has been studied via density functional theory computations and Born-Oppenheimer Molecular Dynamics simulations. Compound 1 can be described as a highly fluxional hyperconjugated carbocation. Complete scrambling of 1 can be achieved by the combination of two unveiled barrierless processes. The first one is a "rotation" of one of the six-membered rings via a 0.8 kcal·mol(-1) barrier, and the second one is a slower interconvertion between two hyperconjomers via an out-of-plane methine bending (ΔG(⧧) = 4.0 kcal·mol(-1)).

Combined wastewater from soya milk and tofu manufacturing industry was treated by physico-chemical method using conventional coagulants such as lime, alum. ferric chloride, and ferrous sulphate in combination with synthetic cationic polyelectrolyte. The wastewater samples were analyzed as per the Standard Methods and the experiments were carried out using Jar test apparatus (Phipps & Birds). The ferric chloride in combination with synthetic cationic polymer (Oxyfloc-FL-11) in the ratio of 250:20 mg L(-1) resulted in very good removals of COD, BOD, and SS of 75.4, 79.8, and 96.0% respectively with complete removal of odor, color and turbidity.

Roadside soils are often enriched in trace metals due to vehicular deposition. However, less attention is given to base cation pools in roadside soils. Relatively high loadings of nitrate from vehicular exhaust should acidify roadside soils, potentially mobilizing cationic species by displacing them from soil exchange sites. In contrast, weathering of road materials can contribute substantial amounts of these cations to the same soils, potentially replenishing cation pools. Base cations are essential nutrients and these dynamics may alter ecosystem processes in near-road environments. Metal concentrations in park and garden soils collected from Southern California (Los Angeles and Riverside Counties) were examined across gradients of road network intensity, climate and geology. In these samples, base cation concentrations decrease in areas of denser road networks. Base cation concentrations also decrease with distance from the road, with near-road samples relatively depleted in base cation concentrations. In addition, base cation concentrations are associated with traffic flux density, with exchange pools decreasing near heavily trafficked areas. These relationships suggest road activity is mobilizing cations, depleting near-road soils of essential nutrient pools, despite road material weathering. This depletion of soil nutrients from exchange pools in roadside soils likely influences local ecological function in unpredictable ways. This observation lays the groundwork for continued characterization of soil metal processes in the increasingly common roadside environment.

A new method for the extraction of both anions and cations is proposed using electro-synthesized polypyrrole (PPy) and overoxidized sulfonated polypyrrole film (OSPPy). In situ anion (chloride, nitrate, sulfate) and cation (calcium, magnesium) uptake and release were examined under controlled potential conditions for prospective applications in electrochemically controlled solid-phase extraction (EC-SPE). The PPy film was used as an anode (anion-exchanger) and OSPPy film was used as a cathode (cation-exchanger) material and reverse order of the electrodes were investigated in EC-SPE. This new cell arrangement containing two ion exchanger polymer electrodes was developed to provide in situ removal of both anions and cations from aqueous solution. Simple preparation of the film coatings on a platinum plate was possible using a constant potential method. Applied positive and negative potentials facilitated the in situ extraction and desorption of ions, respectively. Both anions and cations were desorbed into sample aliquot and were determined by ion chromatography (IC). The method was validated using a standard reference material and tested for the determination of the ions in real water samples.

The optimum parameters for synthesis of zeolite NaA based on metakaolin were investigated according to results of cation exchange capacity and static water adsorption of all synthesis products and selected X-ray diffraction (XRD). Magnetic zeolite NaA was synthesized by adding Fe3O4 in the precursor of zeolite. Zeolite NaA and magnetic zeolite NaA were characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and XRD. Magnetic zeolite NaA with different Fe3O4 loadings was prepared and used for removal of heavy metals (Cu(2+), Pb(2+)). The results show the optimum parameters for synthesis zeolite NaA are SiO2/Al2O3=2.3, Na2O/SiO2=1.4, H2O/Na2O=50, crystallization time 8h, crystallization temperature 95 °C. The addition of Fe3O4 makes the NaA zeolite with good magnetic susceptibility and good magnetic stability regardless of the Fe3O4 loading, confirming the considerable separation efficiency. Additionally, Fe3O4 loading had a little effect on removal of heavy metal by magnetic zeolite, however, the adsorption capacity still reaches 2.3 mmol g(-1) for Cu(2+), Pb(2+) with a removal efficiency of over 95% in spite of 4.7% Fe3O4 loading. This indicates magnetic zeolite can be used to remove metal heavy at least Cu(2+), Pb(2+) from water with metallic contaminants and can be separated easily after a magnetic process.

This article describes the creation of a nontoxic, biodegradable coating using calcium alginate and FD&C approved dyes. The coating is robust but is rapidly removed upon treatment with disodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate (EDTA). Dye leaching from calcium alginate films was studied, and it was determined that the efficiency of dye retention is proportional to the degree of cross-linking. Degradation rates were studied on calcium alginate beads serving as a model for a coating. We determined that degradation rates depend on the gel's cross-linking and on the amount of EDTA used. Bead size also influenced the degradation rates; smaller beads degraded faster than larger beads. We show that the coating can be used as an easilyremovable and environmentally friendly logotype on an artificial turf surface. Applications of these coatings can be extended to food, cosmetic, medicinal, and textile uses and to wherever nontoxic, easilyremovable colored coating is desired.

Modified soils (MSs) are being increasingly used as geo-engineering materials for the sedimentation removal of cyanobacterial blooms. Cationic starch (CS) has been tested as an effective soil modifier, but little is known about its potential impacts on the treated water. This study investigated dissolved organic matters in the bloom water after algal removal using cationic starch modified soils (CS-MSs). Results showed that the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) could be decreased by CS-MS flocculation and the use of higher charge density CS yielded a greater DOC reduction. When CS with the charge density of 0.052, 0.102 and 0.293meq/g were used, DOC was decreased from 3.4 to 3.0, 2.3 and 1.7mg/L, respectively. The excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy and UV254 analysis indicated that CS-MS exhibits an ability to remove some soluble organics, which contributed to the DOC reduction. However, the use of low charge density CS posed a potential risk of DOC increase due to the high CS loading for effective algal removal. When CS with the charge density of 0.044meq/g was used, DOC was increased from 3.4 to 3.9mg/L. This study suggested, when CS-MS is used for cyanobacterial bloom removal, the content of dissolved organic matters in the treated water can be controlled by optimizing the charge density of CS. For the settled organic matters, other measures (e.g., capping treatments using oxygen loaded materials) should be jointly applied after algal flocculation.

In this article, the long-term use of cationic polyelectrolyte to improve the sludge filterability and to control membrane fouling in bioreactor membrane while treating refinery effluents have been evaluated in pilot scale. Corrective and preventive cationic polyelectrolyte dosages have been added to the membrane bioreactor (MBR) to evaluate the membrane fouling mitigation in both strategies. The results have confirmed that the use of the Membrane performance enhancer (MPE) increased the sludge filterability and reduced the membrane fouling. During the monitoring period, stress events occurred due to the increase in oil and grease and phenol concentrations in the MBR feeds. The preventive use of cationic polyelectrolyte allowed for a more effective and stable sludge filterability, with lower cationic polyelectrolyte consumption and without decreasing MBR's overall pollutant removal performance.

New, more detailed studies of the photoionization and Penning ionization of BF_3 trapped in solid neon have confirmed the earlier infrared spectroscopic identification of BF_2 and BF_2 cation and have yielded a revised assignment for the infrared absorptions of BF3 cation. The position of the absorption attributed to ν_3 of that molecule is consistent with the distortion of the ground-state cation from D3h symmetry because of strong vibronic interaction between levels of the Btilde ^2E^' state and E^' levels of the ~X ^2A_2^' ground state, as predicted by Haller and co-workers. The facile reaction of BF_3 with traces of H_2O desorbed from the walls of the vacuum system leads to the stabilization of sufficient BF_2OH for the identification of two vibrational fundamentals of BF_2OH cation. M. E. Jacox and W. E. Thompson, J. Chem. Phys. 102, 4747 (1995). E. Haller, H. Koppel, L. S. Cederbaum, W. von Niessen, and G. Bieri, J. Chem. Phys. 78, 1359 (1983).

In this study the sorption of phenol and 4-chlorophenol on pumice modified with the cationic surfactants hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (HDTMA) and benzyldimethyl tetradecylammonium chloride (BDTDA) was investigated. Experimental studies indicate that HDTMA-pumice and BDTDA-pumice have the capability to remove phenol and 4-chlorophenol from aqueous solution. The influence of initial concentration and adsorbent dosage was studied. The adsorption of phenol and 4-chlorophenol increased with increasing initial concentration and decreased with increasing amount of adsorbent used. The Freundlich adsorption isotherm was found to describe well the equilibrium adsorption data. The parameters of the Freundlich model have been determined using the adsorption data.

Background Surgical wounds are frequently contaminated by microbes, but rarely become infected if the bacterial burden is low, and irrigation is used to reduce contamination. Wound fluids are low in calcium and high in magnesium. We hypothesized that manipulating irrigant divalent cation concentrations might influence bacterial adhesion. Methods Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were stained with fluorescent Calcein AM before plating onto fibroblast monolayers, collagen I, or uncoated bacteriologic plastic. After one hour, wells were washed with HEPES-buffered pH-balanced sterile water without or with 5mM CaCl2, 5mM MgCl2 or 1mM EDTA+EGTA, and the remaining adherent bacteria were assayed fluorometrically. Results Supplementing the irrigation with magnesium or chelators increased but calcium-supplemented irrigation reduced bacterial adhesion to collagen or fibroblasts. Non-specific electrostatic bacterial adhesion to uncoated plastic was unaffected by calcium. Conclusion Bacterial adhesion to mammalian cells and matrix proteins is influenced by divalent cations, and pathogenic bacteria may be adapted to adhere under the low calcium high magnesium conditions in wounds. Although these results await confirmation for other bacteria, and in vivo validation and safety-testing, they suggest that supplementing wound irrigation with 5mM CaCl2 may reduce bacterial adhesion and subsequent wound infection. PMID:19577252

The polysaccharide hyaluronan (HA) is a main component of peri- and extracellular matrix, and an attractive molecule for materials design in tissue engineering and nanomedicine. Here, we study the morphology of complexes that form upon interaction of nanometer-sized amine-coated gold particles with this anionic, linear, and regular biopolymer in solution and grafted to a surface. We find that cationic nanoparticles (NPs) have profound effects on HA morphology on the molecular and supramolecular scale. Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM-D) shows that depending on their relative abundance, cationic NPs promote either strong compaction or swelling of films of surface-grafted HA polymers (HA brushes). Transmission electron and atomic force microscopy reveal that the NPs do also give rise to complexes of distinct morphologies-compact nanoscopic spheres and extended microscopic fibers-upon interaction with HA polymers in solution. In particular, stable and hydrated spherical complexes of single HA polymers with NPs can be prepared when balancing the ionizable groups on HA and NPs. The observed self-assembly phenomena could be useful for the design of drug delivery vehicles and a better understanding of the reorganization of HA-rich synthetic or biological matrices.

Cationic compounds are promising candidates for development of antimicrobial agents. Positive charges attached to surfaces, particles, polymers, peptides or bilayers have been used as antimicrobial agents by themselves or in sophisticated formulations. The main positively charged moieties in these natural or synthetic structures are quaternary ammonium groups, resulting in quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs). The advantage of amphiphilic cationic polymers when compared to small amphiphilic molecules is their enhanced microbicidal activity. Besides, many of these polymeric structures also show low toxicity to human cells; a major requirement for biomedical applications. Determination of the specific elements in polymers, which affect their antimicrobial activity, has been previously difficult due to broad molecular weight distributions and random sequences characteristic of radical polymerization. With the advances in polymerization control, selection of well defined polymers and structures are allowing greater insight into their structure-antimicrobial activity relationship. On the other hand, antimicrobial polymers grafted or self-assembled to inert or non inert vehicles can yield hybrid antimicrobial nanostructures or films, which can act as antimicrobials by themselves or deliver bioactive molecules for a variety of applications, such as wound dressing, photodynamic antimicrobial therapy, food packing and preservation and antifouling applications. PMID:23665898

The current study is aimed at investigating the effect of cationic charge density and hydrophobicity on the antibacterial and hemolytic activities. Two kinds of cationic surfmers, containing single or double hydrophobic tails (octyl chains or benzyl groups), and the corresponding homopolymers were synthesized. The antimicrobial activity of these candidate antibacterials was studied by microbial growth inhibition assays against Escherichia coli, and hemolysis activity was carried out using human red blood cells. It was interestingly found that the homopolymers were much more effective in antibacterial property than their corresponding monomers. Furthermore, the geminized homopolymers had significantly higher antibacterial activity than that of their counterparts but with single amphiphilic side chains in each repeated unit. Geminized homopolymers, with high positive charge density and moderate hydrophobicity (such as benzyl groups), combine both advantages of efficient antibacterial property and prominently high selectivity. To further explain the antibacterial performance of the novel polymer series, the molecular interaction mechanism is proposed according to experimental data which shows that these specimens are likely to kill microbes by disrupting bacterial membranes, leading them unlikely to induce resistance.

Porous ZrO2 and hollow TiO2 spheres were synthesized from a strong acid cation exchange resin. Spherical cation exchange beads, polystyrene based polymer, were used as a morphological-directing template. Aqueous ion exchange reaction was used to chemically bind (ZrO)(2+) ions to the polystyrene structure. The pyrolysis of the polystyrene at 600 C produces porous ZrO2 spheres with a surface area of 24 sq m/g with a mean sphere size of 42 microns. Hollow TiO2 spheres were synthesized by using the beads as a micro-reactor. A direct surface reaction - between titanium isopropoxide and the resin beads forms a hydrous TiO2 shell around the polystyrene core. The pyrolysis of the polystyrene core at 600 C produces hollow anatase spheres with a surface area of 42 sq m/g with a mean sphere size of 38 microns. The formation of ceramic spheres was studied by XRD, SEM and B.E.T. nitrogen adsorption measurements.

The electronic transitions of the benzylium cation (Bz+) are investigated over the 250-550 nm range by monitoring the photodissociation of mass-selected C7H7+-Arn (n = 1, 2) complexes in a tandem mass spectrometer. The Bz+-Ar spectrum displays two distinct band systems, the S1←S0 band system extending from 370 to 530 nm with an origin at 19 067 ± 15 cm-1, and a much stronger S3←S0 band system extending from 270 to 320 nm with an origin at 32 035 ± 15 cm-1. Whereas the S1←S0 absorption exhibits well resolved vibrational progressions, the S3←S0 absorption is broad and relatively structureless. Vibronic structure of the S1←S0 system, which is interpreted with the aid of time-dependent density functional theory and Franck-Condon simulations, reflects the activity of four totally symmetric ring deformation modes (ν5, ν6, ν9, ν13). We find no evidence for the ultraviolet absorption of the tropylium cation, which according to the neon matrix spectrum should occur over the 260 - 275 nm range [A. Nagy, J. Fulara, I. Garkusha, and J. Maier, Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 50, 3022 (2011)], 10.1002/anie.201008036.

In ionic nanocrystals the cationic sub-lattice can be replaced with a different metal ion via a fast, simple, and reversible place-exchange, allowing post-synthetic modification of the composition of the nanocrystal, while preserving its size and shape. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that during such an exchange, the anionic framework of the crystal is preserved. When applied to nanoheterostructures, this phenomenon ensures that compositional interfaces within the heterostructure are conserved throughout the transformation. For instance, a morphology composed of a CdSe nanocrystal embedded in a CdS rod (CdSe/CdS) was exchanged to a PbSe/PbS nanorod via a Cu2Se/Cu2S structure. During every exchange cycle, the seed size and position within the nanorod were preserved, as evident by excitonic features, Z-contrast imaging, and elemental line-scans. Anionic framework conservation extends the domain of cation exchange to the design of more complex and unique nanostructures.

Transition-metal hydride radical cations (TMHRCs) are involved in a variety of chemical and biochemical reactions, making a more thorough understanding of their properties essential for explaining observed reactivity and for the eventual development of new applications. Generally, these species may be treated as the ones formed by one-electron oxidation of diamagnetic analogues that are neutral or cationic. Despite the importance of TMHRCs, the generally sensitive nature of these complexes has hindered their development. However, over the last four decades, many more TMHRCs have been synthesized, characterized, isolated, or hypothesized as reaction intermediates. This comprehensive review focuses on experimental studies of TMHRCs reported through the year 2014, with an emphasis on isolated and observed species. The methods used for the generation or synthesis of TMHRCs are surveyed, followed by a discussion about the stability of these complexes. The fundamental properties of TMHRCs, especially those pertaining to the M-H bond, are described, followed by a detailed treatment of decomposition pathways. Finally, reactions involving TMHRCs as intermediates are described.

Cerium oxide cluster cations, CexOy(+), are produced via laser vaporization in a pulsed nozzle source and detected with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The mass spectrum displays a strongly preferred oxide stoichiometry for each cluster with a specific number of metal atoms x, with x ≤ y. Specifically, the most prominent clusters correspond to the formula CeO(CeO2)n(+). The cluster cations are mass selected and photodissociated with a Nd:YAG laser at either 532 or 355 nm. The prominent clusters dissociate to produce smaller species also having a similar CeO(CeO2)n(+) formula, always with apparent leaving groups of (CeO2). The production of CeO(CeO2)n(+) from the dissociation of many cluster sizes establishes the relative stability of these clusters. Furthermore, the consistent loss of neutral CeO2 shows that the smallest neutral clusters adopt the same oxidation state (IV) as the most common form of bulk cerium oxide. Clusters with higher oxygen content than the CeO(CeO2)n(+) masses are present with much lower abundance. These species dissociate by the loss of O2, leaving surviving clusters with the CeO(CeO2)n(+) formula. Density functional theory calculations on these clusters suggest structures composed of stable CeO(CeO2)n(+) cores with excess oxygen bound to the surface as a superoxide unit (O2(-)).

Penaeid shrimp aquaculture has been consistently affected worldwide by devastating diseases that cause a severe loss in production. To fight a variety of harmful microbes in the surrounding environment, particularly at high densities (of which intensive farming represents an extreme example), shrimps have evolved and use a diverse array of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as part of an important first-line response of the host defense system. Cationic AMPs in penaeid shrimps composed of penaeidins, crustins, and anti-lipopolysaccharide factors are comprised of multiple classes or isoforms and possess antibacterial and antifungal activities against different strains of bacteria and fungi. Shrimp AMPs are primarily expressed in circulating hemocytes, which is the main site of the immune response, and hemocytes expressing AMPs probably migrate to infection sites to fight against pathogen invasion. Indeed, most AMPs are produced as early as the nauplii developmental stage to protect shrimp larvae from infections. In this review, we discuss the sequence diversity, expression, gene structure, and antimicrobial activities of cationic AMPs in penaeid shrimps. The information available on antimicrobial activities indicates that these shrimp AMPs have potential therapeutic applications in the control of disease problems in aquaculture.

The preparation of 2,7-disubstituted benzobisimidazoles decorated with substituents displaying different electrooptical properties is described. The presence of redox, chromogenic, and fluorescent groups at the heteroaromatic core, which acts as ditopic binding site, made these receptors potential candidates as multichannel probes for ions. The triad 4 behaves as a selective redox and fluorescent chemosensor for HSO4(-) and Hg(2+) ions, whereas receptor 5 acts as a redox and chromogenic chemosensor molecule for AcO(-) and SO4(2-) anions. The change in the absorption spectra is accompanied by a color change from yellow to orange, while sensing of Zn(2+), Hg(2+), and Pb(2+) cations is carried out only by electrochemical techniques. Receptor 6 exhibits a remarkable cathodic shift of the oxidation wave only in the presence of AcO(-), H2PO4(-), and HP2O7(3-) anions, whereas addition of Pb(2+) induces an anodic shift. A new low energy band in the absorption spectra, which is responsible for the color change from colorless to pale yellow, and an important increase of the monomer emission band is observed only in the presence of H2PO4(-), and HP2O7(3-) anions. The most salient feature of the receptor 6 is its ability to act as a multichannel (redox, chromogenic, and fluorescent) chemodosimeter for Cu(2+), and Hg(2+) metal cations.

An enzymatic method for removal of phenols from industrial wastewater was investigated. Phenols in an aqueous solution were removed after treatment with mushroom tyrosinase. The reduction order of substituted phenols is catechol > p-cresol > p-chlorophenol > phenol > p-methoxyphenol. In the treatment of tyrosinase alone, no precipitate was formed but a color change from colorless to dark-brown was observed. The colored products were removed by chitin and chitosan which are available abundantly as shellfish waste. In addition, the reduction rate of phenols was observed to be accelerated in the presence of chitosan. Tyrosinase, immobilized by using amino groups in the enzyme on cation exchange resins, can be used repeatedly. By treatment with immobilized tyrosinase, 100% of phenol was removed after 2 h, and the activity was reduced very little even after 10 repeat treatments.

Relative alkali-cation affinity of polyoxyethylene (POE) dodecylethers in gas phase was studied by electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry using dodecylether-poly-ethoxylate (C(12)EO:n, "n" denotes ethyleneoxide unit number) nonionic surfactants, and possible helical conformations of the cationized molecules were demonstrated. The alkali-cation affinity highly depended on the cation diameters. The mass spectra of C(12)EO:8 cationized by alkali-metal ions were dominated by potassiated molecules. The results indicated that the POE moiety could have specific affinity to K(+) ions based on a host-guest interaction between POE helix and potassium ions. This is very similar to the relationships between 18-crown-6 and K(+). The ESI mass spectra exhibited the multiply cationized C(12)EO:n in addition to the singly cationized molecules. The critical EO unit numbers necessary for producing the multiply-charged cationized molecules also depended on the cation diameters. In addition, the POE surfactants highly preferred alkali cations to proton. The results were strongly supported by molecular mechanics/dynamics calculations. A helical conformation of the POE moiety of C(12)EO:15 including two K(+) ions gave a potential minimum, while a lowest energy structure of the protonated molecule took irregular conformations due to the formation of local hydrogen bonds.

Ion pair receptor 3 bearing an anion binding site and multiple cation binding sites has been synthesized and shown to function in a novel binding-release cycle that does not necessarily require displacement to effect release. The receptor forms stable complexes with the test cesium salts, CsCl and CsNO{sub 3}, in solution (10% methanol-d{sub 4} in chloroform-d) as inferred from {sup 1}H NMR spectroscopic analyses. The addition of KClO{sub 4} to these cesium salt complexes leads to a novel type of cation metathesis in which the 'exchanged' cations occupy different binding sites. Specifically, K{sup +} becomes bound at the expense of the Cs{sup +} cation initially present in the complex. Under liquid-liquid conditions, receptor 3 is able to extract CsNO{sub 3} and CsCl from an aqueous D{sub 2}O layer into nitrobenzene-d{sub 5} as inferred from {sup 1}H NMR spectroscopic analyses and radiotracer measurements. The Cs{sup +} cation of the CsNO{sub 3} extracted into the nitrobenzene phase by receptor 3 may be released into the aqueous phase by contacting the loaded nitrobenzene phase with an aqueous KClO{sub 4} solution. Additional exposure of the nitrobenzene layer to chloroform and water gives 3 in its uncomplexed, ion-free form. This allows receptor 3 to be recovered for subsequent use. Support for the underlying complexation chemistry came from single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses and gas-phase energy-minimization studies.

Non-viral synthetic vectors for gene delivery represent a safer alternative to viral vectors. Their main drawback is the low transfection efficiency, especially in vivo. Among the non-viral vectors currently in use, the cationic liposomes composed of cationic lipids are the most common. This review discusses the physicochemical properties of cationic lipids, the formation, macrostructure and specific parameters of the corresponding formulated liposomes, and the effect of all these parameters on transfection efficiency. The optimisation of liposomal vectors requires both the understanding of the biological variables involved in the transfection process, and the effect of the structural elements of the cationic lipids on these biological variables. The biological barriers relevant for in vitro and in vivo transfection are identified, and solutions to overcome them based on rational design of the cationic lipids are discussed. The review focuses on the relationship between the structure of the cationic lipid and the transfection activity. The structure is analysed in a modular manner. The hydrophobic domain, the cationic head group, the backbone that acts as a scaffold for the other domains, the linkers between backbone, hydrophobic domain and cationic head group, the polyethyleneglycol chains and the targeting moiety are identified as distinct elements of the cationic lipids used in gene therapy. The main chemical functionalities used to built these domains, as well as overall molecular features such as architecture and geometry, are presented. Studies of structure-activity relationships of each cationic lipid domain, including the authors', and the trends identified by these studies, help furthering the understanding of the mechanism governing the formation and behaviour of cationic liposomes in gene delivery, and therefore the rational design of new improved cationic lipids vectors capable of achieving clinical significance.

Although many thiolate-protected Au clusters with different numbers of Au atoms and a variety of thiolate ligands have been synthesized, to date there has been no report of a fully cationized Au cluster protected with cationic thiolates. Herein, we report the synthesis of the first member of a new series of thiolate-protected Au cluster molecules: a fully cationized Au25(SR(+))18 cluster.

The objective of present study was to obtain the fixation of nano zero valent iron (nZVI) particles on a permeable matrix and evaluate the performance of this composite material for the removal of Cr(VI) from contaminated waters. The experiments were carried out using the cationic resin Dowex 50WX2 as porous support of the iron nanoparticles. The work was carried out in two phases. The first phase involved the fixation of nZVI on the resin matrix. The resin granules were initially mixed with a FeCl3 solution to obtain the adsorption of Fe(III). Then the Fe(III) loaded resin (RFe) was treated with polyphenol solutions to obtain the reduction of Fe(III) to the elemental state. Two polyphenol solutions were tested as reductants, i.e. green tea extract and gallic acid. Green tea was found to be inefficient, probably due to the relatively big size of the contained polyphenol molecules, but gallic acid molecules were able to reach adsorbed Fe(III) and reduce the cations to the elemental state. The second phase was focused on the investigation of Cr(VI) reduction kinetics using the nanoiron loaded resins (R-nFe). It was found that the reduction follows a kinetic law of first order with respect to Cr(VI) and to the embedded nanoiron. Compared to other similar products, this composite material was found to have comparable performance regarding reaction rates and higher degree of iron utilization. Namely the rate constant for the reduction of Cr(VI), in the presence of 1 mM nZVI, was equivalent to 1.4 h of half-life time at pH 3.2 and increased to 24 h at pH 8.5. The degree of iron utilization was as high as 0.8 mol of reduced Cr(VI) per mole of iron. It was also found that this composite material can be easily regenerated and reused for Cr(VI) reduction without significant loss of efficiency.

Imidazolium cations are promising candidates as covalently tetherable cations for application in anion exchange membranes. They have generated specific interest in alkaline membrane fuel cell applications where ammonium-based cations have been the most commonly applied but have been found to be susceptible to hydroxide attack. In the search for high stability cations, a detailed understanding of the degradation pathways and reaction barriers is required. In this work, we investigate imidazolium and benzimidazolium cations in the presence of hydroxide using density functional theory calculations for their potential in alkaline membrane fuel cells. Moreover, the dominant degradation pathway for these cations is predicted to be the nucleophilic addition–elimination pathway at the C-2 atom position on the imidazolium ring. Steric interferences, introduced by substitutions at the C-2, C-4, and C-5 atom positions, were investigated and found to have a significant, positive impact on calculated degradation energy barriers. Benzimidazolium cations, with their larger conjugated systems, are predicted to degrade much faster than their imidazolium counterparts. Our results provide important insight into designing stable cations for anion exchange membranes. Some of the molecules studied have significantly increased degradation energy barriers suggesting that they could possess significantly improved (several orders of magnitude) durability compared to traditional cations and potentially enable new applications.

Protein cationization techniques are powerful protein transduction methods for mammalian cells. As we demonstrated previously, cationized proteins with limited conjugation to polyethylenimine have excellent ability to enter into cells by adsorption-mediated endocytosis [Futami, J., et al. (2005) J. Biosci. Bioeng. 99, 95-103]. In this study, we show that proteins with extensive and uniform cationization covering the protein surface reach the cytoplasm and nucleus more effectively than proteins with limited cationic polymers or proteins that are fused to cationic peptides. Although extensive modification of carboxylates results in loss of protein function, chicken avidin retains biotin-binding ability even after extensive amidation of carboxylates. Using this cationized avidin carrier system, the protein transduction ability of variously cationized avidins was investigated using biotinylated protein as a probe. The results revealed that cationized avidins bind rapidly to the cell surface followed by endocytotic uptake. Small amounts of uniformly cationized avidin showed direct penetration into the cytoplasm within a 15 min incubation. This penetration route seemed to be energy dependent and functioned under cellular physiological conditions. A biotinylated exogenous transcription factor protein that penetrated cells was demonstrated to induce target gene expression in living cells.

The cationization of sputtered organic species via metal particle adduction is investigated using poly-4-methylstyrene molecules in combination with Cu, Pd, Ag and Au substrates. Metal-cationization occurs for these four substrates. The cationized molecule yields vary with the considered substrate and they are not correlated with the metal ion yields. In addition, double cationization with two metal particles is observed with a very significant intensity for Cu, Ag and Au supports. We interpret the results with an emission scheme in which excited molecules and metal atoms recombine above the surface and decay via electron emission, thereby locking the complex in the ionic state.

Infrared spectroscopy of the alcohol cations of ethanol, propanol, and butanol was performed to investigate their structures and hyperconjugation mechanisms. In the ethanol cation, the Csbnd C bond hyperconjugates with the singly occupied molecular orbital (SOMO) at the oxygen atom, so that the Csbnd C bond weakens and the bond length elongates. Multiple hyperconjugations among SOMO, the Csbnd C bond, and the end Csbnd H bond occur in the propanol cation and enhance the acidity of the Csbnd H bond through the delocalization of its bonding σ electron. The butanol cation forms the oxonium-type structure through the proton transfer from the terminal CH bond.

We probe the spectral response of a magnetically polarizable nanofluid in the presence of different toxic metal cations. In the presence of cations like Ni2+, Mn2+, Pb2+, and Cd2+, the nanofluid shows large blue shift in the diffracted Bragg peak and a visually perceivable color change due to changes in the interparticle spacing of the self-assembled nano-arrays. The observed spectral response of the nanofluid offers the possibility of rapid and selective detections of cations optically. Because the emulsion used is easy to produce and inexpensive, this approach may find several interesting applications in rapid detection of cations.

June 2005, Google has released its geographic search tool "Google earth", a new application that combines local search with satellite images and maps from around the globe. It is designed to make every person owned a computer easily "fly" to aerial views of many locations on the planet. However, just as ordinary satellite images, there inevitably exist shadows in it, made some ground objects obscure, even unidentifiable. According to the basic thinking of Radiative Transfer Theory, this paper built a image shadow removal model, which using the Radiative Transfer Theory combined with preknowledge to compensate the lost shadow area information. The results shows: shadows in images were successfully removed and the target objects were returned to their original scenes.

This paper systematically investigated the interference of calcium and magnesium in protein measurement with a modified Lowry method first proposed by Frølund et al. (Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 43:755-761, 1995). This interference has in the past been largely ignored resulting in variable and unreliable results when applied to natural water matrices. We discovered significant formation of calcium and magnesium precipitates that lead to a decline in light absorbance at 750 nm during protein determination. Underestimation of protein concentration (sometimes even yielding negative concentrations) and low experiment reproducibility were demonstrated at high concentrations of divalent cations (e.g., [Ca(2+)] over 1 mmol L(-1)). To eliminate interference from calcium and magnesium, two pretreatment strategies were established based on cation exchange and dialysis. These pretreatments were convenient and were found to be highly effective in removing calcium and magnesium in protein samples. By using the modified Lowry method with these pretreatments, proteins in standard solutions and in wastewater samples were successfully quantified with good reliability and reproducibility. In addition, we demonstrated that simultaneous quantification of humic substances with the modified Lowry method was not affected by the two pretreatments. These approaches are expected to be applicable to protein and humic substance determination in different research fields, in cases where the modified Lowry method is sensitive to divalent cation concentrations.

The bioartificial kidney (BAK) aims at improving dialysis by developing 'living membranes' for cells-aided removal of uremic metabolites. Here, unique human conditionally immortalized proximal tubule epithelial cell (ciPTEC) monolayers were cultured on biofunctionalized MicroPES (polyethersulfone) hollow fiber membranes (HFM) and functionally tested using microfluidics. Tight monolayer formation was demonstrated by abundant zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) protein expression along the tight junctions of matured ciPTEC on HFM. A clear barrier function of the monolayer was confirmed by limited diffusion of FITC-inulin. The activity of the organic cation transporter 2 (OCT2) in ciPTEC was evaluated in real-time using a perfusion system by confocal microscopy using 4-(4-(dimethylamino)styryl)-N-methylpyridinium iodide (ASP(+)) as a fluorescent substrate. Initial ASP(+) uptake was inhibited by a cationic uremic metabolites mixture and by the histamine H2-receptor antagonist, cimetidine. In conclusion, a 'living membrane' of renal epithelial cells on MicroPES HFM with demonstrated active organic cation transport was successfully established as a first step in BAK engineering.

The bioartificial kidney (BAK) aims at improving dialysis by developing ‘living membranes’ for cells-aided removal of uremic metabolites. Here, unique human conditionally immortalized proximal tubule epithelial cell (ciPTEC) monolayers were cultured on biofunctionalized MicroPES (polyethersulfone) hollow fiber membranes (HFM) and functionally tested using microfluidics. Tight monolayer formation was demonstrated by abundant zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) protein expression along the tight junctions of matured ciPTEC on HFM. A clear barrier function of the monolayer was confirmed by limited diffusion of FITC-inulin. The activity of the organic cation transporter 2 (OCT2) in ciPTEC was evaluated in real-time using a perfusion system by confocal microscopy using 4-(4-(dimethylamino)styryl)-N-methylpyridinium iodide (ASP+) as a fluorescent substrate. Initial ASP+ uptake was inhibited by a cationic uremic metabolites mixture and by the histamine H2-receptor antagonist, cimetidine. In conclusion, a ‘living membrane’ of renal epithelial cells on MicroPES HFM with demonstrated active organic cation transport was successfully established as a first step in BAK engineering. PMID:26567716

Adsorption of cesium (Cs) on phyllosilicates has been intensively investigated because natural soils have strong ability of immobilizing Cs within clay minerals resulting in difficulty of decontamination. The objectives of present study are to clarify how Cs fixation on vermiculite is influenced by structure change caused by Cs sorption at different loading levels and how Cs desorption is affected by various replacing cations induced at different treating temperature. As a result, more than 80% of Cs was readily desorbed from vermiculite with loading amount of 2% saturated Cs (5.49×10(-3)mmolg(-1)) after four cycles of treatment of 0.01M Mg(2+)/Ca(2+) at room temperature, but less than 20% of Cs was desorbed from saturated vermiculite. These distinct desorption patterns were attributed to inhibition of Cs desorption by interlayer collapse of vermiculite, especially at high Cs loadings. In contrast, elevated temperature significantly facilitated divalent cations to efficiently desorb Cs from collapsed regions. After five cycles of treatment at 250°C with 0.01M Mg(2+), ∼100% removal of saturated Cs was achieved. X-ray diffraction analysis results suggested that Cs desorption was completed through enhanced diffusion of Mg(2+) cations into collapsed interlayer space under hydrothermal condition resulting in subsequent interlayer decollapse and readily release of Cs(+).

By using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), it was proven experimentally that the univalent silver cation Ag+ forms with meso-octamethylcalix[4]pyrrole (abbrev. 1) the cationic complex species 1·Ag+. Further, applying quantum chemical DFT calculations, four different conformations of the resulting complex 1·Ag+ were derived. It means that under the present experimental conditions, this ligand 1 can be considered as a macrocyclic receptor for the silver cation.

Some N-nitrosamines (NAs) have been identified as emerging disinfection by-products during water treatment. Thus, it is essential to understand the characteristics of the NA precursors. In this study, the polarity rapid assessment method (PRAM) and the classical resin fractionation method were studied as methods to fractionate the NA precursors during drinking water treatment. The results showed that PRAM has much higher selectivity for NA precursors than the resin approach. The normalized N-nitrosodimethylamine formation potential (NDMA FP) and N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) FP of four resin fractions was at the same level as the average yield of the bulk organic matter whereas that of the cationic fraction by PRAM showed 50 times the average. Thus, the cationic fraction was shown to be the most important NDMA precursor contributor. The PRAM method also helped understand which portions of the NA precursor were removed by different water treatment processes. Activated carbon (AC) adsorption removed over 90% of the non-polar PRAM fraction (that sorbs onto the C18 solid phase extraction [SPE] cartridge) of NDMA and NDEA precursors. Bio-treatment removed 80-90% of the cationic fraction of PRAM (that is retained on the cation exchange SPE cartridge) and 40-60% of the non-cationic fractions. Ozonation removed 50-60% of the non-polar PRAM fraction of NA precursors and transformed part of them into the polar fraction. Coagulation and sedimentation had very limited removal of various PRAM fractions of NA precursors.

Electrodialytic ion transfer was studied as a matrix isolation tool for heavy metal determinations. An ion transfer device (ITD) was used for the transfer of heavy metal cations. Under optimized flow rates applied voltage and receptor composition, heavy metal ions were quantitatively transferred at concentrations spanning µg L(-1) to mg L(-1). As long as the sample pH was acidic, there was no significant sample pH effect on the transfer efficiencies. Significant salt concentrations (>1 mM NaCl), however, decreased the transfer efficiency. This could be ameliorated (up to 5 mM NaCl) by transient instead of continuous sample introduction. The device was applied to the determination of Fe, Cu and Zn in equine and bovine serum; the reproducibility was better than conventional digestion method.

Three methods of cationic starch titration were used to quantify its retention on cellulose fibres, namely: (i) the complexation of CS with iodine and measurement of the absorbency of the ensuing blue solution by UV-vis spectroscopy; (ii) hydrolysis of the starch macromolecules followed by the conversion of the resulting sugars to furan-based molecules and quantifying the ensuing mixture by measuring their absorbance at a Ι of 490 nm, using the same technique as previous one and; finally (iii) hydrolysis of starch macromolecules by trifluoro-acetic acid and quantification of the sugars in the resulting hydrolysates by high performance liquid chromatography. The three methods were found to give similar results within the range of CS addition from 0 to 50 mg per g of cellulose fibres.

The structures of bismuth cluster cations in the range between 4 and 14 atoms have been assigned by a combination of gas phase ion mobility and trapped ion electron diffraction measurements together with density functional theory calculations. We find that above 8 atoms the clusters adopt prolate structures with coordination numbers between 3 and 4 and highly directional bonds. These open structures are more like those seen for clusters of semiconducting-in-bulk elements (such as silicon) rather than resembling the compact structures typical for clusters of metallic-in-bulk elements. An accurate description of bismuth clusters at the level of density functional theory, in particular of fragmentation pathways and dissociation energetics, requires taking spin-orbit coupling into account. For n = 11 we infer that low energy isomers can have fragmentation thresholds comparable to their structural interconversion barriers. This gives rise to experimental isomer distributions which are dependent on formation and annealing histories.

Density-functional theory plane-wave modeling of fluor- and hydroxyapatites has been performed, where one or two calcium ions per unit cell were replaced with cadmium or zinc cations. It was found that cadmium ions favor Ca(1) positions in fluorapatites and Ca(2) positions in hydroxyapatites, in agreement with experiment. A similar pattern is predicted for zinc substitutions. In the doubly substituted cases, where only hydroxyapatites were modeled, a preference for the substituting ions to be located in Ca(2) position was also observed. Displacement of the hydroxide ions from their symmetrical positions on the hexagonal axis can be used to explain the preferred configurations of substituting ions around the axis. -- Deformation of the hydroxide ion chain due to substitutions around the ion channel in substituted hydroxyapatites.

A device for removing blackheads from pores in the skin having a elongated handle with a spoon shaped portion mounted on one end thereof, the spoon having multiple small holes piercing therethrough. Also covered is method for using the device to remove blackheads.

A phenolic cation exchange resin with a chelating group has been prepared by reacting resorcinol with iminodiacetic acid in the presence of formaldehyde at a molar ratio of about 1:1:6. The material is highly selective for the simultaneous recovery of both cesium and strontium from aqueous alkaline solutions, such as, aqueous alkaline nuclear waste solutions. The organic resins are condensation polymers of resorcinol and formaldehyde with attached chelating groups. The column performance of the resins compares favorably with that of commercially available resins for either cesium or strontium removal. By combining Cs.sup.+ and Sr.sup.2+ removal in the same bed, the resins allow significant reduction of the size and complexity of facilities for processing nuclear waste.

A phenolic cation exchange resin with a chelating group has been prepared by reacting resorcinol with iminodiacetic acid in the presence of formaldehyde at a molar ratio of about 1:1:6. The material is highly selective for the simultaneous recovery of both cesium and strontium from aqueous alkaline solutions, such as, aqueous alkaline nuclear wate solutions. The organic resins are condensation polymers of resorcinol and formaldehyde with attached chelating groups. The column performance of the resins compares favorably with that of commercially available resins for either cesium or strontium removal. By combining Cs/sup +/ and Sr/sup 2 +/ removal in the same bed, the resins allow significant reduction of the size and complexity of facilities for processing nuclear waste.

An investigation was conducted to evaluate eight disclosing media for the detection of binding or interference regions on removable partial denture frameworks. The aerosol spray media were judged to be the most acceptable of those tested because they are easy to use and afford minimal waste; they also adhere well to removable partial denture metals and while easilyremoved, they are not washed away by excess saliva.

Enhanced nitrogen removal from stormwater using chabazite, a natural cation exchanger, was evaluated in a pilot-plant biofilter operated for 216 days. A parallel sand filter served as the control. The biofilters were subject to various operating modes including baseline periods of steady flowrate and loading, simulated high flowrate (storm) events following steady flowrates, high flowrates following extended no-flow periods, and with limited influent dissolved oxygen. Under steady-flow operation, chabazite removed 93% of ammonium and sand removed 87%; total inorganic nitrogen was reduced 35% by chabazite versus 15% by sand. In a simulated storm event following steady-flow operation, 97% of cumulative ammonia mass was retained by the chabazite biofilter versus 70% for sand. Following a 40 day no-flow period, the chabazite biofilter retained 98% of influent ammonium in a storm event while sand exhibited high effluent ammonium. Chabazite ammonium retention was high under limited influent dissolved oxygen, verses significant breakthrough by the sand biofilter. Chabazite media provided superior performance resiliency under dynamic conditions that typify stormwater treatment.

Channelrhodopsin (ChR) is a light-gated cation channel derived from green algae. Since the inward flow of cations triggers the neuron firing, neurons expressing ChRs can be optically controlled even within freely moving mammals. Although ChR has been broadly applied to neuro-science research, little is known about its molecular mechanisms. We determined the crystal structure of chimeric ChR at 2.3 Å resolution and revealed its molecular architecture. The integration of structural, electrophysio-logical, and computational analyses provided insight into the molecular basis for the channel function of ChR, and paved the way for the principled design of ChR variants with novel properties.

Localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) of degenerately doped copper chalcogenide nanoparticles (NPs) (Cu2-xSe berzelianite and Cu1.1S covellite) have been modified applying different methods. The comparison of the cation exchange (Cu2-xSe) and intercalation (Cu1.1S) of Ag(I) and Cu(I) has shown that Ag(I) causes a non reversible, air stable shift of the LSPR. This was compared to the influence of Au(I) cation exchange into Cu1.1S platelets under the formation of Cu1.1S-Au2S mixed nanoplatelets. Furthermore, we show the growth of Au domains on Cu2-xSe, and discuss the interaction of the two plasmonic parts of the obtained dual plasmonic Cu2-xSe-Au hybrid particles.

We study the ion-specific salting-out process of benzene in aqueous alkali chloride solutions using Kirkwood-Buff (KB) theory of solutions and molecular dynamics simulations with different empirical force field models for the ions and benzene. Despite inaccuracies in the force fields, the simulations indicate that the decrease of the Setchenow salting-out coefficient for the series NaCl > KCl > RbCl > CsCl is determined by direct benzene-cation correlations, with the larger cations showing weak interactions with benzene. Although ion-specific aqueous solubilities of benzene may be affected by indirect ion-ion, ion-water, and water-water correlations, too, these correlations are found to be unimportant, with little to no effect on the Setchenow salting-out coefficients of the various salts. We further considered LiCl, which is experimentally known to be a weaker salting-out agent than NaCl and KCl and, therefore, ranks at an unusual position within the Hofmeister cation series. The simulations indicate that hydrated Li(+) ions can take part of the benzene hydration shell while the other cations are repelled by it. This causes weaker Li(+) exclusion around the solute and a resulting, weaker salting-out propensity of LiCl compared to that of the other salts. Removing benzene-water and benzene-salt electrostatic interactions in the simulations does not affect this mechanism, which may therefore also explain the smaller effect of LiCl, as compared to that of NaCl or KCl, on aqueous solvation and hydrophobic interaction of nonpolar molecules.

A new carboxylic acid group containing resin with cation exchange capacity, 12.67 meq/g has been used to remove Cu2+, Co2+ and Ni2+ ions from dilute aqueous solution. The resin has Cu2+, Co2+ and Ni2+ removal capacity, 216 mg/g, 154 mg/g and 180 mg/g, respectively. The selectivity of the resin to ...

In the present study, we measured the ability of various cationized pullulan tubular hydrogels to retain plasmid DNA, and tested the ability of retained plasmid DNA to transfect vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Cationized pullulans were obtained by grafting at different charge densities ethylamine (EA) or diethylaminoethylamine (DEAE) on the pullulan backbone. Polymers were characterized by elemental analysis, acid-base titration, size exclusion chromatography, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and proton nuclear magnetic resonance. The complexation of cationized pullulans in solution with plasmid DNA was evidenced by fluorescence quenching with PicoGreen. Cationized pullulans were then chemically crosslinked with phosphorus oxychloride to obtain tubular cationized pullulan hydrogels. Native pullulan tubes did not retain loaded plasmid DNA. In contrast, the ability of cationized pullulan tubes to retain plasmid DNA was dependent on both the amine content and the type of amine. The functional integrity of plasmid DNA in cationized pullulan tubes was demonstrated by in vitro transfection of VSMCs. Hence, cationized pullulan hydrogels can be designed as tubular structures with high affinity for plasmid DNA, which may provide new biomaterials to enhance the efficiency of local arterial gene transfer strategies.

A cation exchange prccess is described for separating protactinium values from thorium values whereby they are initially adsorbed together from an aqueous 0.1 to 2 N hydrochloric acid on a cation exchange resin in a column. Then selectively eluting the thorium by an ammonium sulfate solution and subsequently eluting the protactinium by an oxalate solution.

Cholestyramine is a cationic polymer prescribed to lower cholesterol in humans. We investigated the effects of cationic hydroxyethyl cellulose (cHEC) on weight loss and metabolic disorders associated with obesity using both hamster and diet-induced obese mouse models. Golden Syrian hamsters and ob...

Despite advances in metallurgy, fatigue failure of hardware is common when a fracture fails to heal. Revision procedures can be difficult, usually requiring removal of intact or broken hardware. Several different methods may need to be attempted to successfully remove intact or broken hardware. Broken intramedullary nail cross-locking screws may be advanced out by impacting with a Steinmann pin. Broken open-section (Küntscher type) intramedullary nails may be removed using a hook. Closed-section cannulated intramedullary nails require additional techniques, such as the use of guidewires or commercially available extraction tools. Removal of broken solid nails requires use of a commercial ratchet grip extractor or a bone window to directly impact the broken segment. Screw extractors, trephines, and extraction bolts are useful for removing stripped or broken screws. Cold-welded screws and plates can complicate removal of locked implants and require the use of carbide drills or high-speed metal cutting tools. Hardware removal can be a time-consuming process, and no single technique is uniformly successful.

Atomic force microscopy was used to monitor the macroscopic deformation in a delaminated Ti₃C₂ paper electrode in-situ, during charge/discharge in a variety of aqueous electrolytes to examine the effect of the cation intercalation on the electrochemical behavior and mechanical response. The results show a strong dependence of the electrode deformation on cation size and charge. The electrode undergoes a large contraction during Li⁺, Na⁺ or Mg²⁺ intercalation, differentiating the Ti₃C₂ paper from conventional electrodes where redox intercalation of ions (e.g. Li⁺) into the bulk phase (e.g. graphite, silicon) results in volumetric expansion. This feature may explain the excellent rate performancemore » and cyclability reported for MXenes. We also demonstrated that the variation of the electromechanical contraction can be easily adjusted by electrolyte exchange, and shows interesting characteristics for the design of actuators based on 2D metal carbides.« less

The practical applications of perovskite hollow fibers (HFs) are limited by challenges in producing these easily, cheaply, and reliably. Here, a one-step thermal processing approach is reported for the efficient production of high performance perovskite HFs, with precise control over their cation stoichiometry. In contrast to traditional production methods, this approach directly uses earth-abundant raw chemicals in a single thermal process. This approach can control cation stoichiometry by avoiding interactions between the perovskites and polar solvents/nonsolvents, optimizes sintering, and results in high performance HFs. Furthermore, this method saves much time and energy (≈ 50%), therefore pollutant emissions are greatly reduced. One successful example is Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ HFs, which are used in an oxygen-permeable membrane. This exhibits high oxygen permeation flux values that exceed desired commercial targets and compares favorably with previously reported oxygen-permeable membranes. Studies on other perovskites have produced similarly successful results. Overall, this approach could lead to energy efficient, solid-state devices for industrial application in energy and environmental fields.

Rough patches occur at both ends of the education pipeline, as students enter community colleges and move on to work or enrollment in four-year institutions. Career pathways--sequences of coherent, articulated, and rigorous career and academic courses that lead to an industry-recognized certificate or a college degree--are a promising approach to…

When polymer particles come into use, especially, for photonic crystal applications, their diameter, dispersivity, and refractive indices become very important. Poly(benzyl methacrylate) is known to be a kind of high refracive materials (n = 1.57) compared to poly(methyl methacrylate) (n = 1.49). Not many work was concerned for surfactant-free emulsion polymerization of benzyl methacrylate or its copolymerization using cationic initiators. Narrowly dispersed cationic poly(BMA-co-MMA) and PBMA latices were synthesized successfully by surfactant-free emulsion polymerization with AIBA. The influences of BMA/MMA ratio, BMA/MMA monomer and initiator concentrations, addition of DVB/EGDMA crosslink agent, and polymerization temperature on the kinetics and on the particle size and molecular weight were studied. Monodisperse cationic charged PBMA and poly(BMA-coMMA) latices with particle diameters varying between 160-494 nm and polymer molecular weights of the order 1.25 x 10(4) to 7.55 x 10(4) g/mol were prepared. The rate of polymerization increased with increasing MMA concentration in BMA/MMA ratio, AIBA concentration, DVB crosslink agent, and polymerization temperature. The particle diameter increased with BMA concentration in BMA/MMA ratio, AIBA concentration, and BMA/MMA monomer concentration. The molecular weight increased with BMA concentration in BMA/MMA ratio and BMA/MMA monomer concentration. The glass transition temperature of the latex copolymers decreased with increasing amount of BMA from 375 K for PMMA to 321 K for PBMA. It was, thus, found that the particle diameter and rate of polymerization as well as the polymer molecular weight for surfactant-free emulsion polymerization of BMA and MMA can be controlled easily by controlling the BMA/MMA ratio, BMA/MMA monomer concentration, AIBA concentration, and polymerization temperature.

High efficiency removal of techetium values from a nuclear waste stream is achieved by addition to the waste stream of a precipitant contributing tetraphenylphosphonium cation, such that a substantial portion of the technetium values are precipitated as an insoluble pertechnetate salt.

The feasibility of using biochar as a sorbent to remove nitro explosives and metals from contaminated water was investigated through batch experiments. Biochar, synthesized using various biomasses, showed a porous structure and a high surface area and includes embedded carbonate minerals. Compared with granular activated carbon, biochar was competitive as a sorbent for removing Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn from water according to the maximum sorption capacities of the metals. Some biochars also effectively sorbed nitro explosives from water. Correlation analysis between maximum sorption capacities and properties of biochar showed that the sorption capacity of biochar for cationic toxic metals is related to cation exchange capacity and that the sorption capacity of explosives is proportional to surface area and carbon content. Results from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses and laboratory experiments suggest that surface functional groups may be responsible for the sorption of cationic metals to the biochar surface. In contrast, carbon contents may account for the sorption of explosives, possibly through π-π electron donor-acceptor interactions. Our results suggest that biochar can be an attractive and alternative option in environmental remediation of nitro explosives and metals through sorption and immobilization and that appropriate selection of biochar may be necessary according to the types of contaminant and the properties of biochar.

We have studied relative energies, structures, rotational, vibrational, and electronic spectra of the pyrylium cation, an oxygen-containing six-membered carbocyclic ring, and its six isomers, using ab initio quantum chemical methods. Isoelectronic with benzene, the pyrylium cation has a benzenoid structure and is the global minimum on the singlet potential energy surface of C5H5O+. The second lowest energy isomer, the furfuryl cation, has a five membered backbone akin to a sugar, and is only 16 kcal mol-1 above the global minimum computed using coupled cluster theory with singles, doubles, and perturbative triple excitations (CCSD(T)) with the correlation consistent cc-pVTZ basis set. Other isomers are 25, 26, 37, 60, and 65 kcal mol-1 above the global minimum, respectively, at the same level of theory. Lower level methods such as density functional theory (B3LYP) and second order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory performed well when tested against the CCSD(T) results. The pyrylium and furfuryl cations, although separated by only 16 kcal mol-1, are not easily interconverted, as multiple bonds must be broken and formed, and the existence of more than one transition state is likely. Additionally, we have also investigated the asymptotes for the barrierless ion-molecule association of molecules known to exist in the interstellar medium that may lead to formation of the pyrylium cation.

The classical example of a neutral carbon-centered radical cyclization reaction is the regioselective 1,5-ring closure (exocyclization) of the 5-hexenyl radical to the cyclopentylcarbinyl radical. Here the authors report the title reaction, a comparable addition process whereby an ..cap alpha.., omega-diene radical cation reacts by endocyclization and hydrogen shift(s) to produce a cycloolefin radical cation.

... the surgeon needs to switch to an open surgery if laparoscopic surgery cannot be successfully continued. Other reasons for removing the gallbladder by open surgery: Unexpected bleeding during the laparoscopic operation Obesity Pancreatitis (inflammation in the pancreas) Pregnancy ( ...

The engineer for a California school district describes the asbestos removal from the ceilings of El Camino High School. Discusses forming a design team, use of consultants, specifications, relations with contractors, and staff notification. (MLF)

Filter removes foam from soapy water stream discharged by primary phase separator of water-reclamation system. Uses no antifoam chemicals, contains no moving parts and requires no energy input other than small energy needed to pump water through filter.

Experiments to investigate the potential for practical laser graffiti-removal systems are reported. A universal engineering curve for the time needed for removal of paint from nonconductive substrates that was valid over a range of 10(7) in intensity was measured with a variety of lasers. Comparable times were measured for conductive substrates, when pulses shorter than the thermal conduction times were used. Analysis suggests that Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers may be the most efficient means for removing graffiti and other unwanted paint. An 1-m(2) area of paint 14 µm thick can be removed in approximately 10 min with a 50-Hz laser system of 15-W average power.

Experiments to investigate the potential for practical laser graffiti-removal systems are reported. A universal engineering curve for the time needed for removal of paint from nonconductive substrates that was valid over a range of 107 in intensity was measured with a variety of lasers. Comparable times were measured for conductive substrates, when pulses shorter than the thermal conduction times were used. Analysis suggests that Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers may be the most efficient means for removing graffiti and other unwanted paint. An 1-m2 area of paint 14 mu m thick can be removed in approximately 10 min with a 50-Hz laser system of 15-W average power.

... will make your scar show less. Thyroid Hormone Replacement You may need to take thyroid hormone medicine ... natural thyroid hormone. You may not need hormone replacement if only part of your thyroid was removed. ...

Disclosed is a device for removing trace amounts of ammonia from a stream of gas, particularly hydrogen gas, prepared by a reformation apparatus. The apparatus is used to prevent PEM "poisoning" in a fuel cell receiving the incoming hydrogen stream.

Film softened, scraped, and then dried. Unwanted images removed from microfilm for softening base film with hot water, scraping film and drying with isopropyl alcohol. Method simple and no visible damage to film.

An important step in the repair and protection against corrosion damage is the safe removal of the oxidation and protective coatings without further damaging the integrity of the substrate. Two such methods that are proving to be safe and effective in this task are liquid nitrogen and laser removal operations. Laser technology used for the removal of protective coatings is currently being researched and implemented in various areas of the aerospace industry. Delivering thousands of focused energy pulses, the laser ablates the coating surface by heating and dissolving the material applied to the substrate. The metal substrate will reflect the laser and redirect the energy to any remaining protective coating, thus preventing any collateral damage the substrate may suffer throughout the process. Liquid nitrogen jets are comparable to blasting with an ultra high-pressure water jet but without the residual liquid that requires collection and removal .As the liquid nitrogen reaches the surface it is transformed into gaseous nitrogen and reenters the atmosphere without any contamination to surrounding hardware. These innovative technologies simplify corrosion repair by eliminating hazardous chemicals and repetitive manual labor from the coating removal process. One very significant advantage is the reduction of particulate contamination exposure to personnel. With the removal of coatings adjacent to sensitive flight hardware, a benefit of each technique for the space program is that no contamination such as beads, water, or sanding residue is left behind when the job is finished. One primary concern is the safe removal of coatings from thin aluminum honeycomb face sheet. NASA recently conducted thermal testing on liquid nitrogen systems and found that no damage occurred on 1/6", aluminum substrates. Wright Patterson Air Force Base in conjunction with Boeing and NASA is currently testing the laser remOval technique for process qualification. Other applications of liquid

Coal is treated to remove both pyritic and organic sulfur by contacting with an aqueous solution comprising cupric ions at temperatures of about 140/sup 0/ C.-200/sup 0/ C. under autogenic pressure, until substantial amounts of the sulfur are solubilized, separating the coal solids, and washing the solids with water to remove soluble forms of sulfur, iron and copper therefrom. The copper can be recovered and recycled as a cupric salt.

This work presents a study of intramolecular NHN hydrogen bonds in cations of the following proton sponges: 2,7-bis(trimethylsilyl)-1,8-bis(dimethylamino)naphthalene (1), 1,6-diazabicyclo[4.4.4.]tetradecane (2), 1,9-bis(dimethylamino)dibenzoselenophene (3), 1,9-bis(dimethylamino)dibenzothiophene (4), 4,5-bis(dimethylamino)fluorene (5), quino[7,8-h]quinoline (6) 1,2-bis(dimethylamino)benzene (7), and 1,12-bis(dimethylamino)benzo[c]phenantrene (8). Three different patterns were found for proton motion: systems with a single-well potential (cations 1-2), systems with a double-well potential and low proton transfer barrier, ΔEe (cations 3-5), and those with a double-well potential and a high barrier (cations 6-8). Tests of several density functionals indicate that the PBEPBE functional reproduces the potential-energy surface (PES) obtained at the MP2 level well, whereas the B3LYP, MPWB1K, and MPW1B95 functionals overestimate the barrier. Three-dimensional PESs were constructed and the vibrational Schrödinger equation was solved for selected cases of cation 1 (with a single-well potential), cation 4 (with a ΔEe value of 0.1 kcal mol(-1) at the MP2 level), and cations 6 (ΔEe = 2.4 kcal mol(-1)) and 7 (ΔEe=3.4 kcal mol(-1)). The PES is highly anharmonic in all of these cases. The analysis of the three-dimensional ground-state vibrational wave function shows that the proton is delocalized in cations 1 and 4, but is rather localized around the energy minima for cation 7. Cation 6 is an intermediate case, with two weakly pronounced maxima and substantial tunneling. This allows for classification of proton sponge cations into those with localized and those with delocalized proton behavior, with the borderline between them at ΔEe values of about 1.5 kcal mol(-1). The excited vibrational states of proton sponge cations with a low barrier can be described within the framework of a simple particle-in-a-box model. Each cation can be assigned an effective box width.

A number of lasers and light devices are now available for the treatment of unwanted hair. The goal of laser hair removal is to damage stem cells in the bulge of the follicle through the targeting of melanin, the endogenous chromophore for laser and light devices utilized to remove hair. The competing chromophores in the skin and hair, oxyhemoglobin and water, have a decreased absorption between 690 nm and 1000 nm, thus making this an ideal range for laser and light sources. Pearls of laser hair removal are presented in this review, focusing on four areas of recent development: 1 treatment of blond, white and gray hair; 2 paradoxical hypertrichosis; 3 laser hair removal in children; and 4 comparison of lasers and IPL. Laser and light-based technologies to remove hair represents one of the most exciting areas where discoveries by dermatologists have led to novel treatment approaches. It is likely that in the next decade, continued advancements in this field will bring us closer to the development of a more permanent and painless form of hair removal.

The Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF) at the Savannah River Site utilizes pH adjustment, submicron filtration, Hg removal resin, activated carbon, reverse osmosis, cationic exchange, and evaporation to remove contaminants from radioactive waste water. After startup, the ETF had difficulty achieving design capacity. The primary problem was fouling of the ceramic microfilters. Typical filter flow rates were only 20 percent of design capacity.A research program was conducted to identify and evaluate technologies for improving suspended solids removal from radioactive wastewater at the Savannah River Site. Technolgies investigated were a ceramic microfilter, a tubular polymeric ultrafilter, two porous metal filters, a polymeric centrifugal ultrafilter, a deep bed filter, a backwashable cartridge filter, a fabric filter, and a centriguge.

Arsenic and selenium are found in low quantities together with other metals in several nonferrous metallurgical process streams such as scrubber blowdown solution, acid plant wastewater, gas cleaning plant water, etc. Normally, the other metals in these streams are present as cations and can be precipitated by conventional lime treatment and sulfide polishing. However, arsenic and selenium are invariably present as anions, AsO{sub 3}{sup 3-} and AsO{sub 4}{sup 3-} in the case of arsenic and SeO{sub 3}{sup 2-} and SeO{sub 4}{sup 2-} for selenium. Conventional lime treatment removes most of the arsenic, but it does not remove selenium. The present paper reviews the processes and technologies developed to date on the removal of arsenic and selenium from metallurgical process streams. 58 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

The endotoxin from gram-negative bacteria consists of a molecule lipopolysaccharide (LPS) which can be shed by bacteria during antimicrobial therapy. A resulting syndrome, endotoxic shock, is a leading cause of death in the developed world. Thus, there is great interest in the development of antimicrobial agents which can reverse rather than promote sepsis, especially given the recent disappointing clinical performance of antiendotoxin therapies. We describe here two small cationic peptides, MBI-27 and MBI-28, which have both antiendotoxic and antibacterial activities in vitro and in vivo in animal models. We had previously demonstrated that these peptides bind to LPS with an affinity equivalent to that of polymyxin B. Consistent with this, the peptides blocked the ability of LPS and intact cells to induce the endotoxic shock mediator, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), upon incubation with the RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cell line. MBI-28 was equivalent to polymyxin B in its ability to block LPS induction of TNF by this cell line, even when added 60 min after the TNF stimulus. Furthermore, MBI-28 offered significant protection in a galactosamine-sensitized mouse model of lethal endotoxic shock. This protection correlated with the ability of MBI-28 to reduce LPS-induced circulating TNF by nearly 90% in this mouse model. Both MBI-27 and MBI-28 demonstrated antibacterial activity against gram-negative bacteria in vitro and in vivo against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in neutropenic mice.

The endotoxin from gram-negative bacteria consists of a molecule lipopolysaccharide (LPS) which can be shed by bacteria during antimicrobial therapy. A resulting syndrome, endotoxic shock, is a leading cause of death in the developed world. Thus, there is great interest in the development of antimicrobial agents which can reverse rather than promote sepsis, especially given the recent disappointing clinical performance of antiendotoxin therapies. We describe here two small cationic peptides, MBI-27 and MBI-28, which have both antiendotoxic and antibacterial activities in vitro and in vivo in animal models. We had previously demonstrated that these peptides bind to LPS with an affinity equivalent to that of polymyxin B. Consistent with this, the peptides blocked the ability of LPS and intact cells to induce the endotoxic shock mediator, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), upon incubation with the RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cell line. MBI-28 was equivalent to polymyxin B in its ability to block LPS induction of TNF by this cell line, even when added 60 min after the TNF stimulus. Furthermore, MBI-28 offered significant protection in a galactosamine-sensitized mouse model of lethal endotoxic shock. This protection correlated with the ability of MBI-28 to reduce LPS-induced circulating TNF by nearly 90% in this mouse model. Both MBI-27 and MBI-28 demonstrated antibacterial activity against gram-negative bacteria in vitro and in vivo against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in neutropenic mice. PMID:8945527

We show, through a combination of density function theory based molecular dynamics simulations (DFTMD) and experimental x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS) studies, that the iodate ion (IO3-) is a zwitterion in solution. The local region adjoining the I atom is sufficiently electropositive that three hydrating waters are oriented with their O’s atoms directly interacting with the iodine atom at an I-OH2O distance of 2.95 Å. This is the orientation of water hydrating a cation. Further, approximately 2-3 water molecules hydrate each O of IO3 - through a single H atom in an orientation of the water that is expected for an anion at an IOH2O distance of 3.85 Å. We predict that this structure persists, although to a much lesser degree, for BrO3 -, and ClO3 -. This type of local microstructure profoundly affects the behavior of the "anion" at interfaces and how it interacts with other ionic species in solution.

Membrane transporters are key determinants of therapeutic outcomes. They regulate systemic and cellular drug levels influencing efficacy as well as toxicities. Here we report a unique phosphorylation-dependent interaction between drug transporters and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), which has uncovered widespread phosphotyrosine-mediated regulation of drug transporters. We initially found that organic cation transporters (OCTs), uptake carriers of metformin and oxaliplatin, were inhibited by several clinically used TKIs. Mechanistic studies showed that these TKIs inhibit the Src family kinase Yes1, which was found to be essential for OCT2 tyrosine phosphorylation and function. Yes1 inhibition in vivo diminished OCT2 activity, significantly mitigating oxaliplatin-induced acute sensory neuropathy. Along with OCT2, other SLC-family drug transporters are potentially part of an extensive 'transporter-phosphoproteome' with unique susceptibility to TKIs. On the basis of these findings we propose that TKIs, an important and rapidly expanding class of therapeutics, can functionally modulate pharmacologically important proteins by inhibiting protein kinases essential for their post-translational regulation.

The MICs of cationic, hydrophobic peptides of the prototypic sequence KKAAAXAAAAAXAAWAAXAAAKKKK-amide (where X is one of the 20 commonly occurring amino acids) are in a low micromolar range for a panel of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, with no or low hemolytic activity against human and rabbit erythrocytes. The peptides are active only when the average segmental hydrophobicity of the 19-residue core is above an experimentally determined threshold value (where X is Phe, Trp, Leu, Ile, Met, Val, Cys, or Ala). Antimicrobial activity could be increased by using peptides that were truncated from the prototype length to 11 core residues, with X being Phe and with 6 Lys residues grouped at the N terminus. We propose a mechanism for the interaction between these peptides and bacterial membranes similar to the “carpet model,” wherein the Lys residues interact with the anionic phospholipid head groups in the bacterial membrane surface and the hydrophobic core portion of the peptide is then able to interact with the lipid bilayer, causing disruption of the bacterial membrane. PMID:12384369

In this review, noncovalent interactions of ions with neutral molecules are discussed. After defining the scope of the article, which excludes anionic and most protonated systems, methods associated with measuring thermodynamic information for such systems are briefly recounted. An extensive set of tables detailing available thermodynamic information for the noncovalent interactions of metal cations with a host of ligands is provided. Ligands include small molecules (H2, NH3, CO, CS, H2O, CH3CN, and others), organic ligands (O- and N-donors, crown ethers and related molecules, MALDI matrix molecules), π-ligands (alkenes, alkynes, benzene, and substituted benzenes), miscellaneous inorganic ligands, and biological systems (amino acids, peptides, sugars, nucleobases, nucleosides, and nucleotides). Hydration of metalated biological systems is also included along with selected proton-based systems: 18-crown-6 polyether with protonated peptides and base-pairing energies of nucleobases. In all cases, the literature thermochemistry is evaluated and, in many cases, reanchored or adjusted to 0 K bond dissociation energies. Trends in these values are discussed and related to a variety of simple molecular concepts.

The microbial toxicity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) stabilized with different capping agents was compared to that of Ag+ under anaerobic conditions. Three AgNPs were investigated: (1) negatively charged citrate-coated AgNPs (citrate-AgNPs), (2) minimally charged polyvinylpyrrolidone coated AgNPs (PVP-AgNps) and (3) positively charged branched polyethyleneimine coated AgNPs (BPEI-AgNPs). The AgNPs investigated in this experiment were similar in size (10-15 nm), spherical in shape, but varied in surface charge which ranged from highly negative to highly positive. While, at AgNPs concentrations lower than 5 mg L-1, the anaerobic decomposition process was not influenced by the presence of the nanoparticles, there was an observed impact on the diversity of the microbial community. At elevated concentrations (100 mg L-1 as silver), only the cationic BPEI-AgNPs demonstrated toxicity similar in magnitude to that of Ag+. Both citrate and PVP-AgNPs did not exhibit toxicity at the 100 mg L-1 as measured by biogas evolution. These findings further indicate the varying modes of action for nanoparticle toxicity and represent one of the few studies that evaluate end-of-life management concerns with regards to the increasing use of nanomaterials in our everyday life. These findings also highlight some of the concerns with a one size fits all approach to the evaluation of environmental health and safety concerns associated with the use of nanoparticles. The current

Novel formulations of cationic nanoemulsions based on three different lipids were developed to strengthen the attraction of the polyanionic oligonucleotide (ODN) macromolecules to the cationic moieties on the oil nanodroplets. These formulations were developed to prolong the release of the ODN from the nanoemulsion under appropriate physiological dilutions as encountered in the eye following topical application. Increasing the concentration of the new cationic lipid exhibiting two cationic amine groups (AOA) in the emulsion from 0.05% to 0.4% did not alter markedly the particle size or zeta potential value of the blank cationic nanoemulsion. The extent of ODN association did not vary significantly when the initial concentration of ODN remained constant at 10 microM irrespective of the cationic lipid nature. However, the zeta potential value dropped consistently with the low concentrations of 0.05% and 0.1% of AOA in the emulsions suggesting that an electrostatic attraction occurred between the cationic lipids and the polyanionic ODN molecules at the o/w interface. Only the nanoemulsion prepared with N-[1-(2,3-dioleoyloxy)propyl]-N,N,N-trimethylammonium salts (DOTAP) remained physically stable over time. DOTAP cationic lipid nanoemulsion was the most efficient formulation capable of retaining the ODN despite the high dilution of 1:100 with simulated tear solution (STS). Less than 10% of the ODN was exchanged in contrast to 40-50% with the other cationic nanoemulsions. The in-vitro release kinetic behavior of ODN exchange with physiological anions present in the STS appears to be complex and difficult to characterize using mathematical fitting model equations. Further pharmacokinetic studies are needed to verify our kinetic assumptions and confirm the in-vitro ODN release profile from DOTAP cationic nanoemulsions.

Among the various heavy metals, arsenic is frequently found in abandoned mine drainage and the environmental fate of arsenic in real aqueous solutions can be highly dependent on the presence of co-existing ions. In this study, removal of arsenate through adsorption on the reused aluminum oxide or through precipitation was investigated in a single and in a binary system as a function of pH and concentration. Different removal behaviors of arsenate were observed in the presence of different cations as well as a variation of the molar ratios of arsenate to cations. Co-operative effects on arsenate removal by precipitation in solution occurred with an increase of copper concentration, while a decrease of arsenate removal resulted in increasing calcium concentration. It was observed that the arsenate removal in the presence of calcium would be highly dependent on the molar ratios of both elements.

The simultaneity nitrification and denitrification (SND) was studied in a loop reactor. In the experiment, the research of biological nutrients removal was carried by changing carbon source and the method of adding carbon source, and the concentration of NOx(-)-N and the dissolved oxygen (DO) level were also inspected. The results indicated that the removal of NH4+-N could be enhanced by adding carbon source with COD 800 mg/L + 800 mg/L. And the concentration of NH4+-N in outlet was lower than 3 mg/L; Lower DO level in the reactor could be made easily by using difficultly reduced carbon source. It was useful to improve the biological nutrients removal. When using ethanol or glycerol as carbon source, the removal efficiency of NH4+-N was better than using glucose.

Construction of multibarrier concrete based waste disposal sites and management of alkaline mine drainage water requires cation exchangers combining excellent sorption properties with a high stability and predictable performance in hyper alkaline media. Though highly selective organic cation exchange resins have been developed for most pollutants, they can serve as a growth medium for bacterial proliferation, impairing their long-term stability and introducing unpredictable parameters into the evolution of the system. Zeolites represent a family of inorganic cation exchangers, which naturally occur in hyper alkaline conditions and cannot serve as an electron donor or carbon source for microbial proliferation. Despite their successful application as industrial cation exchangers under near neutral conditions, their performance in hyper alkaline, saline water remains highly undocumented. Using Cs(+) as a benchmark element, this study aims to assess the long-term cation exchange performance of zeolites in concrete derived aqueous solutions. Comparison of their exchange properties in alkaline media with data obtained in near neutral solutions demonstrated that the cation exchange selectivity remains unaffected by the increased hydroxyl concentration; the cation exchange capacity did however show an unexpected increase in hyper alkaline media.

Different cationic potato, maize, and waxy maize starches were evaluated for their emulsifying properties. Emulsions were prepared using 20% (w/w) arachidic oil and 80% (w/w) water. Emulsions with the cationic starches as emulsifier in a concentration ranging from 1% to 5% (w/w) were prepared and characterized by droplet size and viscosity measurements, and the stability was evaluated visually and by electrical conductance measurements. None of the cationic potato, waxy maize starches, and maize starches with a low degree of substitution (DS) showed adequate emulsifying properties. Emulsions prepared using non-pregelatinized (C [symbol: see text] bond 05914, 2% and 5% w/w; C [symbol: see text] bond 05907, 5% w/w) and pregelatinized (C [symbol: see text] bond 12504, 5% w/w) cationic maize starches with high-DS were visually stable. The initial mean droplet volume diameter of the emulsions prepared with these cationic starches in a 5% (w/w) concentration was similar and ranged from 2.40 to 2.84 microns; however, there was an important difference in droplet size distribution. The droplet size distribution of the emulsions prepared using the non-pregelatinized high-DS cationic starches was markedly narrower than in the case of the emulsions prepared using the pregelatinized high-DS cationic starches. The droplet size of the emulsions remained almost constant during 120 days of storage. Visual inspection and electrical conductance measurements showed that these emulsions were stable for at least 120 days.

Synthetic polymers incorporating the cationic charge and hydrophobicity to mimic the function of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been developed. These cationic-amphiphilic polymers bind to bacterial membranes that generally contain negatively charged phospholipids and cause membrane disintegration resulting in cell death; however, cationic-amphiphilic antibacterial polymers with endotoxin neutralization properties, to the best of our knowledge, have not been reported. Bacterial endotoxins such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) cause sepsis that is responsible for a great amount of mortality worldwide. These cationic-amphiphilic polymers can also bind to negatively charged and hydrophobic LPS and cause detoxification. Hence, we envisaged that cationic-amphiphilic polymers can have both antibacterial as well as LPS binding properties. Here we report synthetic amphiphilic polymers with both antibacterial as well as endotoxin neutralizing properties. Levels of proinflammatory cytokines in human monocytes caused by LPS stimulation were inhibited by >80% when coincubated with these polymers. These reductions were found to be dependent on concentration and, more importantly, on the side-chain chemical structure due to variations in the hydrophobicity profiles of these polymers. These cationic-amphiphilic polymers bind and cause LPS neutralization and detoxification. Investigations of polymer interaction with LPS using fluorescence spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS) showed that these polymers bind but neither dissociate nor promote LPS aggregation. We show that polymer binding to LPS leads to sort of a pseudoaggregate formation resulting in LPS neutralization/detoxification. These findings provide an unusual mechanism of LPS neutralization using novel synthetic cationic-amphiphilic polymers.

We previously reported gene therapy using cationized gelatin microspheres of φ20-32 μm, prepared from pig skin, as a transducing agent, but although the gelatin offered various advantages, its yield was extremely low (only 0.1%). In this study, we markedly improved the yield of φ20-32 μm cationized gelatin microspheres and prepared a newly less than φ20 μm cationized gelatin. Conventionally, cationized gelatin is prepared by cationization, particulation by agitation, and cross-linking. The yield is determined by the particulation step, for which we had used a three-necked distillation flask of 500 mL and an agitation speed of 420 rpm. The yield was significantly increased from 0.13 ± 0.02% to 8.80 ± 1.90% by using a smaller flask of 300 mL and an agitation speed of 25000 rpm (p ＜ 0.01). We could also prepare cationized gelatin of less than φ20 μm, which had not been possible previously. We confirmed that efficient gene introduction into peritoneal macrophages could be achieved with the new cationized gelatin.

The equipment of cellulose ultrathin films with BSA (bovine serum albumin) via cationization of the surface by tailor-made cationic celluloses is described. In this way, matrices for controlled protein deposition are created, whereas the extent of protein affinity to these surfaces is controlled by the charge density and solubility of the tailored cationic cellulose derivative. In order to understand the impact of the cationic cellulose derivatives on the protein affinity, their interaction capacity with fluorescently labeled BSA is investigated at different concentrations and pH values. The amount of deposited material is quantified using QCM-D (quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, wet mass) and MP-SPR (multi-parameter surface plasmon resonance, dry mass), and the mass of coupled water is evaluated by combination of QCM-D and SPR data. It turns out that adsorption can be tuned over a wide range (0.6-3.9 mg dry mass m(-2)) depending on the used conditions for adsorption and the type of employed cationic cellulose. After evaluation of protein adsorption, patterned cellulose thin films have been prepared and the cationic celluloses were adsorbed in a similar fashion as in the QCM-D and SPR experiments. Onto these cationic surfaces, fluorescently labeled BSA in different concentrations is deposited by an automatized spotting apparatus and a correlation between the amount of the deposited protein and the fluorescence intensity is established.

Topical ophthalmic delivery of active ingredients can be achieved using cationic nanoemulsions. In the last decade, Novagali Pharma has successfully developed and marketed Novasorb, an advanced pharmaceutical technology for the treatment of ophthalmic diseases. This paper describes the main steps in the development of cationic nanoemulsions from formulation to evaluation in clinical trials. A major challenge of the formulation work was the selection of a cationic agent with an acceptable safety profile that would ensure a sufficient ocular surface retention time. Then, toxicity and pharmacokinetic studies were performed showing that the cationic emulsions were safe and well tolerated. Even in the absence of an active ingredient, cationic emulsions were observed in preclinical studies to have an inherent benefit on the ocular surface. Moreover, clinical trials demonstrated the efficacy and safety of cationic emulsions loaded with cyclosporine A in patients with dry eye disease. Ongoing studies evaluating latanoprost emulsion in patients with ocular surface disease and glaucoma suggest that the beneficial effects on reducing ocular surface damage may also extend to this patient population. The culmination of these efforts has been the marketing of Cationorm, a preservative-free cationic emulsion indicated for the symptomatic treatment of dry eye. PMID:22506123

Atmospheric CO(2) enrichment generally stimulates plant photosynthesis and nutrient uptake, modifying the local and global cycling of bioactive elements. Although nutrient cations affect the long-term productivity and carbon balance of terrestrial ecosystems, little is known about the effect of CO(2) enrichment on cation availability in soil. In this study, we present evidence for a novel mechanism of CO(2)-enhancement of cation release from soil in rice agricultural systems. Elevated CO(2) increased organic C allocation belowground and net H(+) excretion from roots, and stimulated root and microbial respiration, reducing soil redox potential and increasing Fe(2+) and Mn(2+) in soil solutions. Increased H(+), Fe(2+), and Mn(2+) promoted Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) release from soil cation exchange sites. These results indicate that over the short term, elevated CO(2) may stimulate cation release from soil and enhance plant growth. Over the long-term, however, CO(2)-induced cation release may facilitate cation losses and soil acidification, negatively feeding back to the productivity of terrestrial ecosystems.

Catholic Healthcare West is now rechristened Dignity Health. Freed from its formal ties with the Roman Catholic Church, it's seeking to expand east by more easily adding hospitals that may have previously been apprehensive about adopting Catholic ethical directives. "I would say our vision has not changed and neither has our mission as being a voice for the voiceless," says Lloyd Dean, left, the system's president and CEO.

The effects of low calcium and verapamil on contractility of two muscle fibre types (m. iliofibularis, Rana temporaria) upon different stimulation protocols were been compared. Verapamil (0.02 mmol/l) induced temporal excitation-contraction coupling failure during single tetanic stimulation and enhanced the decline of tetanic force during 30 s repetitive tetanic stimulation in both fatigue-resistant fibres and easily-fatigued fibres. In contrast to verapamil, low extracellular calcium (0.02 mmol/l) only enhanced the decline of tetanic force in fatigue-resistant during repetitive tetanic stimulation but had no effect on easily-fatigued fibres. The effect of verapamil on the decline of tetanic force in fatigue-resistant fibres was more profound in low calcium conditions. Both verapamil and low calcium eliminated twitch facilitation that appeared after prolonged contractile activity in fatigue-resistant fibres. 4mmol/l Ni+2, used as calcium channel antagonist, had effects similar to low calcium medium. It could be concluded that (i) extracellular Ca2+-requirements for excitation-contraction coupling are different in fatigue-resistant and easily-fatigued fibres; (ii) the effects of verapamil on force performance are not entirely dependent upon calcium channel blockade.

Most tunneled catheters can be easilyremoved after the retention cuff is dissected. Occasionally, these catheters can become resistant to removal even after application of potentially hazardous forceful traction. In addition, an infected catheter may cause life-threatening septicemia. Several methods have been described for their extraction, some of which may be available only in tertiary-care facilities. The present report describes the successful extraction of five such "stuck" catheters by using a recently described technique of endoluminal dilation. The technique appears safe and straightforward and can be performed in any interventional suite while allowing preservation of venous access.

Improved catalysts for removal of nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2) from combustion flue gases formulated as composites of vanadium pentoxide in carbon molecular sieves. Promotes highly efficient selective catalytic reduction of NOx at relatively low temperatures while not being adversely affected by presence of water vapor and sulfur oxide gases in flue gas. Apparatus utilizing catalyst of this type easily integrated into exhaust stream of power plant to remove nitrogen oxides, generated in combustion of fossil fuels and contribute to formation of acid rain and photochemical smog.

The adsorption properties in terms of cation exchange capacity and their relation to the soil and sediment constituents (clay minerals, Fe-, Mn-, and Al-oxyhydroxides, organic matter) were investigated in loess, soil-loess transition zone, and soil at four loess-soil sections in North-Western Croatia. Cation exchange capacity of the bulk samples, the samples after oxalate extraction of Fe, Mn and Al, and after removal of organic matter, as well as of the separated clay fraction, was determined using copper ethylenediamine. Cation exchange capacity (pH˜7) of the bulk samples ranges from 5 to 12 cmolc/kg in soil, from 7 to 15 cmolc/kg in the soil-loess transition zone, and from 12 to 20 cmolc/kg in loess. Generally, CEC values increase with depth. Oxalate extraction of Fe, Mn, and Al, and removal of organic matter cause a CEC decrease of 3-38% and 8-55%, respectively, proving a considerable influence of these constituents to the bulk CEC values. In the separated clay fraction (<2 μm) CEC values are up to several times higher relative to those in the bulk samples. The measured CEC values of the bulk samples generally correspond to the clay mineral content identified. Also, a slight increase in muscovite/illite content with depth and the vermiculite occurrence in the loess horizon are concomitant with the CEC increase in deeper horizons, irrespective of the sample pretreatment.

The adsorption properties in terms of cation exchange capacity and their relation to the soil and sediment constituents (clay minerals, Fe-, Mn-, and Al-oxyhydroxides, organic matter) were investigated in loess, soil-loess transition zone, and soil at four loess-soil sections in North-Western Croatia. Cation exchange capacity of the bulk samples, the samples after oxalate extraction of Fe, Mn and Al, and after removal of organic matter, as well as of the separated clay fraction, was determined using copper ethylenediamine. Cation exchange capacity (pH˜7) of the bulk samples ranges from 5 to 12 cmol c /kg in soil, from 7 to 15 cmol c /kg in the soil-loess transition zone, and from 12 to 20 cmol c /kg in loess. Generally, CEC values increase with depth. Oxalate extraction of Fe, Mn, and Al, and removal of organic matter cause a CEC decrease of 3-38% and 8-55%, respectively, proving a considerable influence of these constituents to the bulk CEC values. In the separated clay fraction (<2 μm) CEC values are up to several times higher relative to those in the bulk samples. The measured CEC values of the bulk samples generally correspond to the clay mineral content identified. Also, a slight increase in muscovite/illite content with depth and the vermiculite occurrence in the loess horizon are concomitant with the CEC increase in deeper horizons, irrespective of the sample pretreatment.

Cation exchange capacity, surface acidity and specific surface area are surface properties of clay minerals that make them act as catalysts or supports in most biogeochemical processes hence making them play important roles in environmental control. However, the role of homoionic clay minerals during the biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic compounds is not well reported. In this study, the effect of interlayer cations of montmorillonites in the removal of some crude oil polycyclic aromatic compounds during biodegradation was investigated in aqueous clay/oil microcosm experiments with a hydrocarbon degrading microorganism community. The homoionic montmorillonites were prepared via cation exchange reactions by treating the unmodified montmorillonite with the relevant metallic chloride. The study indicated that potassium-montmorillonite and zinc-montmorillonite did not enhance the biodegradation of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons whereas calcium-montmorillonite, and ferric-montmorillonite enhanced their biodegradation significantly. Adsorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was significant during biodegradation with potassium- and zinc-montmorillonite where there was about 45% removal of the polycyclic aromatic compounds by adsorption in the experimental microcosm containing 5:1 ratio (w/w) of clay to oil.

The determinations of cation exchange capacity (CSC ) and exchangeable cations of soils using conventional wet methods are time consuming and require skilled analysts in order to obtain both precise and accurate results. Aim of this work was to evaluate NIR reflectance spectroscopy in order to obtain a rapid estimate of these soil parameters. A representative and heterogeneous set of 250 soil samples was selected from a population of soils sampled in all the northern Italy corn areas for which the organic carbon content and the texture were known. In order to maximize CSC variability the model of Courtin et al. (1979, CSC=23+3680*Organic Carbon+510*Clay) was used to estimate the CSC of selected samples. The true CSC was determined using the Barium Chloride-Triethanolamine at pH 8.1 method, and the the exchangeable cations were analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The results are summarized in table 1: MinMax meanStandard deviationAnalytical error CSC (meq(+)/kg)3.5 90.9 20.6 14.3 0.75 Ca (mg/kg) 220 215933366 2689 97.5 Mg (mg/kg) 18 1483 300 240 7.8 K (mg/kg) 61 1058 273 169 7.9 The NIR spectra on dry soil ground at 0.5 mm were acquired using a FOSS 5000 spectrometer. In order to maximize the calibration performances and to select the smallest calibration set were tested two multivariate design of experiment techniques: Kennard-Stone algorithm (KS) and Neighborhood Mahlanobis Distance (NMD). The regression model built with using NMD design and a Neighborhood distance of 0.5 gave a standard error of prediction of 4.6 cmol(+)/kg and a R2 of 0.853 using 139 sample in calibration set and 111 samples in validation set. For exchangeable Ca, Mg and K the standard error of prediction were 738, 98 and 136 mg/kg and the R2 were 0.837, 0.714 and 0.230 respectively. These results demonstrated the usefulness of the NIR technique for rough determination of CSC and divalent exchangeable cations on heterogeneous soils.

Photoinitiated cationic polymerizations are widely used in industrial processes; however, gaining photocontrol over chain growth would expand the utility of these methods and facilitate the design of novel complex architectures. We report herein a cationic polymerization regulated by visible light. This polymerization proceeds under mild conditions: a combination of a metal-free photocatalyst, a chain-transfer agent, and light irradiation enables the synthesis of various poly(vinyl ether)s with good control over molecular weight and dispersity as well as excellent chain-end fidelity. Significantly, photoreversible cation formation in this system enables efficient control over polymer chain growth with light.

Topochemical nitridation in ammonia at moderate temperatures of cation ordered Sr2FeWO6 produces new antiferromagnetic double perovskite oxynitrides Sr2FeWO6-xNx with 0 < x ≤ 1. Nitrogen introduction induces the oxidation of Fe(2+) to Fe(3+) and decreases TN from 38 K (x = 0) to 13 K for Sr2FeWO5N which represents the first example of a double perovskite oxynitride with both high cationic order and nitrogen content. This synthetic approach can be extended to other cation combinations expanding the possibility of new materials in the large group of double perovskites.

The spectra and relaxation of the pyridine cation and of several of its fluorinated derivatives are studied in low temperature Ne matrices. The ions are generated by direct photoionization of the parent compounds. Of the compounds studied, laser induced → and → fluorescence is observed only for the 2, 6‐difluoropyridine cation. The analysis of the spectrum indicates that the ion is planar both in the and states. The large variety in the spectroscopic and relaxation behavior of fluoropyridine radical cations is explained in terms of their electronic structure and of the differential shifts of the individual electronic states caused by the fluorine substitution.

Ab initio calculations were carried out for a benzyl-substituted iminium cation derived from (E)-crotonaldehyde and a chiral imidazolidinone that was developed as an organocatalyst by MacMillan et al. At the MP2 level of theory it is predicted that the phenyl group is close to the iminium moiety in the most stable conformer, suggesting that the cation-π interaction contributes to the stabilization of this conformer. Energy decomposition analyses on model systems indicate that the electrostatic and polarization terms make significant contribution to the attractive interactions between the benzene ring and the iminium cation.

Exposure of dilute solutions of dimethylsulfide, methanethiol, tetrahydrothiophene, terbutyl and diterbutyl-sulfides, dimethyl-disulfide, and diterbutyldisulfide, in freon at 77 K to /sup 60/Co ..gamma.. rays gave the corresponding cations. From the reported ESR spectra, g tensors were obtained. It was found that both sulfide and disulfide cations exhibit the same g tensor: (g/sub max/ = 2.034 +- 0.002, g/sub int/ = 2.017 +- 0.001, g/sub min/ = 2.001 +- 0.005). From this result it has been shown that the disulfide cation is planar. This finding was supported by fully optimized geometry ab initio calculations.

Nanomaterials have gained great attention because of their novel size- and shape-dependent properties, large specific surface area and high reaction activity. Moreover, nanomaterials have a wide range of applications, as in the technological and environmental challenges in the areas of solar energy conversion, catalysis, medicine, and water treatments. In the present study, nanostructured graphite oxide, silica/graphite oxide composites and silica nanoparticles were used for the removal of the heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions by a batch adsorption method and the adsorptive kinetic mechanism of heavy metal cations on the surface of graphite oxide and its SiO2 composite was evaluated. The experimental results revealed a strong adsorption of the metal cations on the surface of graphite oxide, this is reflected in the shifts in wave numbers after adsorption with nanostructured graphite oxide and the big shift in wave numbers (Δv¯) for nickel ions reflects chemosorption type of adsorption. This is confirmed by the coherence between Δv¯, removal percentage and crystal field stabilization energy (CFSE). Silica/ GO (2:3) composite showed the greatest removal percentage at different concentrations compared to pure graphite oxide and silica nanoparticles. The higher removal percentage of nickel ions by silica /GO composite (2:3) was observed at 180 min contact time and basic pH. The kinetic studies showed that silica/ GO (2:3) composite had rapid adsorption rate and efficiency and it was found to follow first order rate expression or an exponential decay of the metal cations from water study.

Dissolved air flotation (DAF), an effective treatment method for clarifying algae/cyanobacteria-laden water, is highly dependent on coagulation-flocculation. Treatment of algae can be problematic due to unpredictable coagulant demand during blooms. To eliminate the need for coagulation-flocculation, the use of commercial polymers or surfactants to alter bubble charge in DAF has shown potential, termed the PosiDAF process. When using surfactants, poor removal was obtained but good bubble adherence was observed. Conversely, when using polymers, effective cell removal was obtained, attributed to polymer bridging, but polymers did not adhere well to the bubble surface, resulting in a cationic clarified effluent that was indicative of high polymer concentrations. In order to combine the attributes of both polymers (bridging ability) and surfactants (hydrophobicity), in this study, a commercially-available cationic polymer, poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (polyDMAEMA), was functionalised with hydrophobic pendant groups of various carbon chain lengths to improve adherence of polymer to a bubble surface. Its performance in PosiDAF was contrasted against commercially-available poly(diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride) (polyDADMAC). All synthesised polymers used for bubble surface modification were found to produce positively charged bubbles. When applying these cationic micro-bubbles in PosiDAF, in the absence of coagulation-flocculation, cell removals in excess of 90% were obtained, reaching a maximum of 99% cell removal and thus demonstrating process viability. Of the synthesised polymers, the polymer containing the largest hydrophobic functionality resulted in highly anionic treated effluent, suggesting stronger adherence of polymers to bubble surfaces and reduced residual polymer concentrations.

Oxidative stress, a redox imbalance between the endogenous reactive species and antioxidant systems, is common to numerous pathological conditions such as cancer, central nervous system injuries, radiation injury, diabetes etc. Therefore, compounds able to reduce oxidative stress have been actively sought for over 3 decades. Superoxide is the major species involved in oxidative stress either in its own right or through its progeny, such as ONOO−, H2O2, ·OH, CO3·−, and ·NO2. Therefore, the very first compounds developed in the late 1970-ies were the superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimics. Thus far the most potent mimics have been the cationic meso Mn(III) N-substituted pyridylporphyrins and N,N′-disubstituted imidazolylporphyrins (MnPs), some of them with kcat(O2·−) similar to the kcat of SOD enzymes. Most frequently studied are ortho isomers MnTE-2-PyP5+, MnTnHex-2-PyP5+, and MnTDE-2-ImP5+. The ability to disproportionate O2·− parallels their ability to remove the other major oxidizing species, peroxynitrite, ONOO−. The same structural feature that gives rise to the high kcat (O2·−) and kred (ONOO−), allows MnPs to strongly impact the activation of the redox-sensitive transcription factors, HIF-1α, NF-κB, AP-1, and SP-1, and therefore modify the excessive inflammatory and immune responses. Coupling with cellular reductants and other redox-active endogenous proteins seems to be involved in the actions of Mn porphyrins. While hydrophilic analogues, such as MnTE-2-PyP5+ and MnTDE-2-ImP5+ are potent in numerous animal models of diseases, the lipophilic analogues were developed to cross blood brain barrier and target central nervous system and critical cellular compartment, mitochondria. The modification of its structure, aimed to preserve the SOD-like potency and lipophilicity, and diminish the toxicity, has presently been pursued. The pulmonary radioprotection by MnTnHex-2-PyP5+ was the first efficacy study performed successfully with non

Bentonite clay was modified using quaternary ammonium cations, viz. phenyltrimethylammonium (PTMA), hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA), trioctylmethylammonium (TOMA) [100 % of cation exchange capacity of clay], and stearylkonium (SK) [100 % (SK-I) and 250 % (SK-II) of cation exchange capacity of clay]. The organoclays were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Atrazine adsorption on modified clays was studied using a batch method. Bentonite clay was a poor adsorbent of atrazine as 9.4 % adsorption was observed at 1 μg mL(-1) atrazine concentration. Modification of clay by PTMA cation did not improve atrazine adsorption capacity. However, atrazine adsorption in HDTMA-, TOMA-, and SK-bentonites varied between 49 and 72.4 % and data fitted well to the Freundlich adsorption isotherm (R > 0.96). Adsorption of atrazine in organoclays was nonlinear and slope (1/n) values were <1. The product of Freundlich adsorption constants, K f(1/n) in HDTMA-, TOMA-, and SK-I-bentonites was 239.2, 302.4, and 256.6, respectively, while increasing the SK cation loading in the clay (SK-II) decreased atrazine adsorption [K f(1/n) - 196.4]. Desorption of atrazine from organoclays showed hysteresis and TOMA- and SK-I-bentonites were the best organoclays to retain the adsorbed atrazine. Organoclays showed better atrazine removal from wastewater than an aqueous solution. The synthesized organoclays may find application in soil and water decontamination and as a carrier for atrazine-controlled released formulations.

Adsorption of orthophosphate anions in aqueous solution by cationized milled solid wood residues was characterized as a function of sorbate-to-sorbent ratio (approximately equal to 0.001-2.58 mmol of P/g substrate), pH (3-9), ionic strength, I (no I control; 0.001 and 0.01 M NaCl), reaction time (4 min to 24 h), and in the presence of other competing anions (0.08-50 mM SO4(2-); 0.08-250 mM NO3-). Sorption isotherms revealed the presence of two kinds of adsorption sites corresponding to high and low binding affinities for orthophosphate anions. Consequently, a two-site Langmuir equation was needed to adequately describe the data over a range of solution conditions. In addition to higher sorption capacity, cationized bark possessed a higher binding energy for orthophosphate anions compared to cationized wood. The sorption capacity and binding energy for bark were 0.47 mmol of P g(-1) and 295.7 L mmol(-1), respectively, and for wood, the corresponding values were 0.27 mmol g(-1) and 61.4 L mmol(-1). Both the sorption capacity and binding energy decreased with increasing I, due to competition from Cl- ions for the available anion-exchange sites. The surface charge characteristics of cationized bark (pHzpc = 7.9) acted in concert with orthophosphate speciation to create a pH-dependent sorption behavior. Orthophosphate uptake was quite rapid and attained equilibrium levels after 3 h. Both SO4(2-) and NO3- influenced percent removal but required high relative competing anion to H2PO4- molar ratios, i.e., 2.5-3 for SO4(2-) and 25 for NO3-, to cause appreciable reduction. These results support our hypothesis that adsorption of orthophosphate anions on cationized bark involves ion exchange and other specific Lewis acid-base interactions.

Cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) are important components of the innate host defense system against microbial infections and microbial products. However, the human pathogen Neisseria meningitidis is intrinsically highly resistant to CAMPs, such as polymyxin B (PxB) (MIC ≥ 512 μg/ml). To ascertain the mechanisms by which meningococci resist PxB, mutants that displayed increased sensitivity (≥4-fold) to PxB were identified from a library of mariner transposon mutants generated in a meningococcal strain, NMB. Surprisingly, more than half of the initial PxB-sensitive mutants had insertions within the mtrCDE operon, which encodes proteins forming a multidrug efflux pump. Additional PxB-sensitive mariner mutants were identified from a second round of transposon mutagenesis performed in an mtr efflux pump-deficient background. Further, a mutation in lptA, the phosphoethanolamine (PEA) transferase responsible for modification of the lipid A head groups, was identified to cause the highest sensitivity to PxB. Mutations within the mtrD or lptA genes also increased meningococcal susceptibility to two structurally unrelated CAMPs, human LL-37 and protegrin-1. Consistently, PxB neutralized inflammatory responses elicited by the lptA mutant lipooligosaccharide more efficiently than those induced by wild-type lipooligosaccharide. mariner mutants with increased resistance to PxB were also identified in NMB background and found to contain insertions within the pilMNOPQ operon involved in pilin biogenesis. Taken together, these data indicated that meningococci utilize multiple mechanisms including the action of the MtrC-MtrD-MtrE efflux pump and lipid A modification as well as the type IV pilin secretion system to modulate levels of CAMP resistance. The modification of meningococcal lipid A head groups with PEA also prevents neutralization of the biological effects of endotoxin by CAMP. PMID:16030233

The use of bare fused silica capillary in CE can sometimes be inconvenient due to undesirable effects including adsorption of sample or instability of the EOF. This can often be avoided by coating the inner surface of the capillary. In this work, we present and characterize two novel polyelectrolyte coatings (PECs) poly(2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl trimethylammonium iodide) (PMOTAI) and poly(3-methyl-1-(4-vinylbenzyl)-imidazolium chloride) (PIL-1) for CE. The coated capillaries were studied using a series of aqueous buffers of varying pH, ionic strength, and composition. Our results show that the investigated polyelectrolytes are usable as semi-permanent (physically adsorbed) coatings with at least five runs stability before a short coating regeneration is necessary. Both PECs showed a considerably decreased stability at pH 11.0. The EOF was higher using Good's buffers than with sodium phosphate buffer at the same pH and ionic strength. The thickness of the PEC layers studied by quartz crystal microbalance was 0.83 and 0.52 nm for PMOTAI and PIL-1, respectively. The hydrophobicity of the PEC layers was determined by analysis of a homologous series of alkyl benzoates and expressed as the distribution constants. Our result demonstrates that both PECs had comparable hydrophobicity, which enabled separation of compounds with log Po/w > 2. The ability to separate cationic drugs was shown with β-blockers, compounds often misused in doping. Both coatings were also able to separate hydrolysis products of the ionic liquid 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene acetate at highly acidic conditions, where bare fused silica capillaries failed to accomplish the separation.

This work examines how the antimicrobial (killing) activity of net-negative surfaces depends on the presentation of antimicrobial cationic functionality: distributed versus clustered, and flat clusters versus raised clusters. Specifically, the ability to kill Staphylococcus aureus by sparsely distributed 10 nm cationic nanoparticles, immobilized on a negative surface and backfilled with a PEG (polyethylene glycol) brush, was compared with that for a dense layer of the same immobilized nanoparticles. Additionally, sparsely distributed 10 nm poly-L-lysine (PLL) coils, adsorbed to a surface to produce flat cationic "patches" and backfilled with a PEG brush were compared to a saturated adsorbed layer of PLL. The latter resembled classical uniformly cationic antimicrobial surfaces. The protrusion of the cationic clusters substantially influenced killing but the surface concentration of the clusters had minor impact, as long as bacteria adhered. When surfaces were functionalized at the minimum nanoparticle and patch densities needed for bacterial adhesion, killing activity was substantial within 30 min and nearly complete within 2 h. Essentially identical killing was observed on more densely functionalized surfaces. Surfaces containing protruding (by about 8 nm) nanoparticles accomplished rapid killing (at 30 min) compared with surfaces containing similarly cationic but flat features (PLL patches). Importantly, the overall surface density of cationic functionality within the clusters was lower than reported thresholds for antimicrobial action. Also surprising, the nanoparticles were far more deadly when surface-immobilized compared with free in solution. These findings support a killing mechanism involving interfacial stress.

Whether a cationic organic polymer can remove more total cyanide (TCN) than a non-ionic organic polymer during the same flocculation system has not been reported previously. In this study, the effects of organic polymers with different charge density on the removal mechanisms of TCN in coking wastewater are investigated by polyferric sulfate (PFS) with a cationic organic polymer (PFS-C) or a non-ionic polymer (PFS-N). The coagulation experiments results show that residual concentrations of TCN (Fe(CN)6(3-)) after PFS-C flocculation (TCN < 0.2 mg/L) are much lower than that after PFS-N precipitation. This can be attributed to the different TCN removal mechanisms of the individual organic polymers. To investigate the roles of organic polymers, physical and structural characteristics of the flocs are analyzed by FT-IR, XPS, TEM and XRD. Owing to the presence of N+ in PFS-C, Fe(CN)6(3-) and negative flocs (Fe(CN)6(3-) adsorbed on ferric hydroxides) can be removed via charge neutralization and electrostatic patch flocculation by the cationic organic polymer. However, non-ionic N in PFS-N barely reacts with cyanides through sweeping or bridging, which indicates that the non-ionic polymer has little influence on TCN removal.

Since 1996, there have been numerous advances in hair laser removal that utilize melanin as a chromophore. All of the devices on the market may be used in patients with light skin (phototypes I-III) and yield hair reduction near 75%. The ruby (694 nm) laser, alexandrite (755 nm) laser, and diode (810 nm) laser, as well as intense pulsed light are commonly used devices for hair laser removal. The long-pulsed Nd:YAG (1064 nm) laser represents the safest device for hair removal in dark-skinned patients because of its long wavelength, although the diode laser, alexandrite laser, and intense pulse light may be used. For treatment of light hair, combination radiofrequency and optical devices as well as photodynamic therapy are under investigation.

Methods for removing arsenic from water by addition of inexpensive and commonly available magnesium oxide, magnesium hydroxide, calcium oxide, or calcium hydroxide to the water. The hydroxide has a strong chemical affinity for arsenic and rapidly adsorbs arsenic, even in the presence of carbonate in the water. Simple and commercially available mechanical methods for removal of magnesium hydroxide particles with adsorbed arsenic from drinking water can be used, including filtration, dissolved air flotation, vortex separation, or centrifugal separation. A method for continuous removal of arsenic from water is provided. Also provided is a method for concentrating arsenic in a water sample to facilitate quantification of arsenic, by means of magnesium or calcium hydroxide adsorption.

A kiloelectronvolt beam of helium ions is used to ionize and fragment precursor peptide ions starting in the 1+ charge state. The electron affinity of helium cations (24.6 eV) exceeds the ionization potential of protonated peptides and can therefore be used to abstract an electron from--or charge exchange with--the isolated precursor ions. Kiloelectronvolt energies are used, (1) to overcome the Coulombic repulsion barrier between the cationic reactants, (2) to overcome ion-defocussing effects in the ion trap, and (3) to provide additional activation energy. Charge transfer dissociation (CTD) of the [M+H](+) precursor of Substance P gives product ions such as [M+H](2+•) and a dominant series of a ions in both the 1+ and 2+ charge states. These observations, along with the less-abundant a + 1 ions, are consistent with ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) results of others and indicate that C-C(α) cleavages are possible through charge exchange with helium ions. Although the efficiencies and timescale of CTD are not yet suitable for on-line chromatography, this new approach to ion activation provides an additional potential tool for the interrogation of gas phase ions.

A combination of explicit solvent molecular dynamics simulation (30 simulations reaching 4 µs in total), hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics approach and isothermal titration calorimetry was used to investigate the atomistic picture of ion binding to 15-mer thrombin-binding quadruplex DNA (G-DNA) aptamer. Binding of ions to G-DNA is complex multiple pathway process, which is strongly affected by the type of the cation. The individual ion-binding events are substantially modulated by the connecting loops of the aptamer, which play several roles. They stabilize the molecule during time periods when the bound ions are not present, they modulate the route of the ion into the stem and they also stabilize the internal ions by closing the gates through which the ions enter the quadruplex. Using our extensive simulations, we for the first time observed full spontaneous exchange of internal cation between quadruplex molecule and bulk solvent at atomistic resolution. The simulation suggests that expulsion of the internally bound ion is correlated with initial binding of the incoming ion. The incoming ion then readily replaces the bound ion while minimizing any destabilization of the solute molecule during the exchange. PMID:21893589

A combination of explicit solvent molecular dynamics simulation (30 simulations reaching 4 µs in total), hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics approach and isothermal titration calorimetry was used to investigate the atomistic picture of ion binding to 15-mer thrombin-binding quadruplex DNA (G-DNA) aptamer. Binding of ions to G-DNA is complex multiple pathway process, which is strongly affected by the type of the cation. The individual ion-binding events are substantially modulated by the connecting loops of the aptamer, which play several roles. They stabilize the molecule during time periods when the bound ions are not present, they modulate the route of the ion into the stem and they also stabilize the internal ions by closing the gates through which the ions enter the quadruplex. Using our extensive simulations, we for the first time observed full spontaneous exchange of internal cation between quadruplex molecule and bulk solvent at atomistic resolution. The simulation suggests that expulsion of the internally bound ion is correlated with initial binding of the incoming ion. The incoming ion then readily replaces the bound ion while minimizing any destabilization of the solute molecule during the exchange.

Organophilic-bentonite, produced by exchange of cetyltrimethylammonium cation for metal cations on the bentonite, was exploited as adsorbent for removal of catechol from aqueous solutions using batch technique. The dependence of removal on various physico-chemical parameters, such as contact time (1-250 min), concentration (0.8-15.3 mmol L(-1)), temperature (30, 40, 50+/-1 degrees C) and pH (5-12) of the adsorptive solution were investigated. Obtained results show that catechol could be removed efficiently ( approximately 100%) at pH values > or =9.9. The uptake process follows first-order rate kinetics and the equilibrium data fit well into the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms over a wide range of concentration (1-10 mmol L(-1)). The magnitude of change of free energy (DeltaG degrees ), enthalpy (DeltaH degrees ) and entropy (DeltaS degrees ) were determined.

The NASA Lewis Research Center developed and is patenting a new high capacity ion exchange material (IEM) that removes toxic metals from contaminated water in laboratory tests. The IEM can be made into many forms, such as thin films, coatings, pellets, and fibers. As a result, it can be adapted to many applications to purify contaminated water wherever it is found, be it in waste water treatment systems, lakes, ponds, industrial plants, or in homes. Laboratory tests have been conducted on aqueous solutions containing only one of the following metal cations: lead, copper, mercury, cadmium, silver, chromium (III), nickel, zinc, and yttrium. Tests were also conducted with: (1) calcium present to determine its effects on the uptake of cadmium and copper, and (2) uranium and lanthanides which are stand-ins for other radioactive elements, (3) drinking water for the removal of copper and lead, and (3) others compositions. The results revealed that the IEM removes all these cations, even in the presence of the calcium. Of particular interest are the results of the tests with the drinking water: the lead concentration was reduced from 142 ppb down to 2.8 ppb (well below the accepted EPA standard).

A method for the dry removal of friable asbestos has been developed. The Workplace Safety and Health Branch in Manitoba's Limited have co-operated in the production of an improved procedure. It was employed for the first time in the fall of 1979 when the Industrial Hygiene Section was asked for advice about removal of asbestos from a Winnipeg School Division warehouse. Fans were used to maintain the work area under negative pressure to prevent the spread of asbestos throughout the building. The exhaust air was filtered to prevent environmental contamination, and special precautions were taken to protect workers.

A removable feedwater sparger assembly includes a sparger having an inlet pipe disposed in flow communication with the outlet end of a supply pipe. A tubular coupling includes an annular band fixedly joined to the sparger inlet pipe and a plurality of fingers extending from the band which are removably joined to a retention flange extending from the supply pipe for maintaining the sparger inlet pipe in flow communication with the supply pipe. The fingers are elastically deflectable for allowing engagement of the sparger inlet pipe with the supply pipe and for disengagement therewith.

Unit removed with minimal disturbance. Valve inlet and outlet ports adjacent to each other on same side of valve body. Ports inserted into special manifold on fluid line. Valve body attached to manifold by four bolts or, alternatively, by toggle clamps. Electromechanical actuator moves in direction parallel to fluid line to open and close valve. When necessary to clean valve, removed simply by opening bolts or toggle clamps. No need to move or separate ports of fluid line. Valve useful where disturbance of fluid line detrimental or where fast maintenance essential - in oil and chemical industries, automotive vehicles, aircraft, and powerplants.

Lasers are the standard modality for tattoo removal. Though there are various factors that determine the results, we have divided them into three logical headings, laser dependant factors such as type of laser and beam modifications, tattoo dependent factors like size and depth, colour of pigment and lastly host dependent factors, which includes primarily the presence of a robust immune response. Modifications in the existing techniques may help in better clinical outcome with minimal risk of complications. This article provides an insight into some of these techniques along with a detailed account of the factors involved in tattoo removal. PMID:25949018

A tool for removing the lid of a metal drum wherein the lid is clamped over the drum rim without protruding edges, the tool having an elongated handle with a blade carried by an angularly positioned holder affixed to the midsection of the handle, the blade being of selected width to slice between lid lip and the drum rim and, when the blade is so positioned, upward motion of the blade handle will cause the blade to pry the lip from the rim and allow the lid to be removed.

Lasers are the standard modality for tattoo removal. Though there are various factors that determine the results, we have divided them into three logical headings, laser dependant factors such as type of laser and beam modifications, tattoo dependent factors like size and depth, colour of pigment and lastly host dependent factors, which includes primarily the presence of a robust immune response. Modifications in the existing techniques may help in better clinical outcome with minimal risk of complications. This article provides an insight into some of these techniques along with a detailed account of the factors involved in tattoo removal.

Organodicobalt, organochromium, and organomolybdenum carbonyl complexes have been studied using fast ion bombardment mass spectrometry. It has been found that the addition of cesium iodide to the liquid matrix, m-NBA, can significantly enhance the ability to observed the precursor ions of these organometallics through charge localization. In most cases the [M + Cs]+ ions were more abundant than the radical cations M-, the protonated molecules [M + H]+, or the sodium cationized molecules [M + Na]+ which were either unobservable or less intense than those treated with the cesium iodide salt solution. The decomposition of the compounds took place primarily through the successive loss of carbonyls from the radical cation with some carbonyl loss observed through the protonated and cationized species. The FAB matrix ions produced when cesium iodide was added to m-NBA also allowed for internal calibration.

Adsorption of hydrated cations on hydrophilic surfaces has been related to a variety of phenomena associated with the short-range interaction forces and mechanisms of the adhesive contact between the surfaces. Here we have investigated the effect of the adsorption of cations on the lateral interaction. Using lateral force microscopy (LFM), we have measured the friction force between a silica particle and silica wafer in pure water and in electrolyte solutions of LiCl, NaCl, and CsCl salts. A significant lubrication effect was demonstrated for solutions of high electrolyte concentrations. It was found that the adsorbed layers of smaller and more hydrated cations have a higher lubrication capacity than the layers of larger and less hydrated cations. Additionally, we have demonstrated a characteristic dependence of the friction force on the sliding velocity of surfaces. A mechanism for the observed phenomena based on the microstructures of the adsorbed layers is proposed.